Lincoln County climate

Lincoln County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lincoln 1 Se, 7 km from Lincoln County, elevation 1401 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lincoln 1 Se. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 17, first October 23

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 18May 13May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
32°FMay 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
28°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
24°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 21
20°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 14Mar 9
16°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 27

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 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
32°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 8Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 15
20°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 26
16°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5

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°F171165161157153150146141135
32°F189183178174170166162157150
28°F209202197193189185180176169
24°F230222217212208204200194187
20°F253244237232226222218213204
16°F272264258252247242237231221

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
5,498
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,407
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,238
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,006
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,914
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,952
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,118

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13600
February92407
March705150
April40310152
May15383405
June13293730
July1450914
August3372834
September67170556
October32826227
November707138
December1,05902

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 7 km from Lincoln County. 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 USC00144712 (Lincoln 1 Se). Public domain.