Larned climate

Larned Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Larned, 0.1 km from Larned, elevation 1995 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Larned. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 27, first October 17
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 5

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 8May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13
32°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 3
28°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
24°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 4
20°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 22Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 23
16°FMar 21Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 17Feb 8

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 1Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
32°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
28°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
24°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29
20°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5Dec 10
16°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23

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°F189184178175172169164160153
32°F209203199195190186182177170
28°F235226220215210206201196189
24°F258249242237232226221215207
20°F280271264260254249243236225
16°F304294286280275269263256246

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
4,860
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,460
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,603
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,287
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,115
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,094
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,206

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,01103
February823011
March612172
April36114178
May12389436
June11292730
July1442906
August3395857
September46196602
October27830260
November637155
December95505

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 Larned. 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 USC00144530 (Larned). Public domain.