Independence climate

Independence Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Independence, 1.5 km from Independence, elevation 805 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Independence. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 31, a growing season of about 208 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last March 26, first November 8

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 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
32°FApr 23Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 20
28°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 7
24°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25
20°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 11
16°FMar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 13Feb 8Jan 31

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°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
32°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 13
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5
20°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 7Dec 12Dec 19
16°FNov 20Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7Dec 11Dec 16Dec 20Dec 26Jan 2

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°F208201195190186182178172165
32°F228221215211208204199194187
28°F251242237233228223219214208
24°F274266260255250244238232224
20°F297287281275271266259252243
16°F319311303297291285279272264

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
4,284
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,618
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,131
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,742
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,502
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,401
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,438

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January96706
February756020
March548597
April26525249
May77116505
June4316762
July0470935
August1433897
September31208628
October22242310
November544381
December869013

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 1.5 km from Independence. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00143954 (Independence). Public domain.