Hoxie climate

Hoxie Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hoxie, 0.1 km from Hoxie, elevation 2713 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hoxie. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around April 20 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 28

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 13May 8May 5May 2May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
32°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
28°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26
24°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 21Mar 14
20°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8Mar 2
16°FApr 2Mar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 21

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23
32°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
24°FOct 19Oct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 21
20°FOct 29Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 2
16°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 15Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F179172169165162158155150143
32°F201194189185180176172167162
28°F221214209205200196192187180
24°F241233227223218213209203197
20°F263253246241235230225219210
16°F285274268260255250244237226

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
5,417
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,262
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,090
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,838
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,738
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,778
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,955

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07602
February89708
March698151
April4098148
May16471384
June18264696
July2406869
August4343804
September75151530
October35218204
November702039
December1,02103

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 0.1 km from Hoxie. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00143837 (Hoxie). Public domain.