Moran climate

Moran Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Iola 1 W, 22.3 km from Moran, elevation 954 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Iola 1 W. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 200 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 8, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last March 30, first November 4

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 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 5
32°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25
28°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
24°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2
20°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20
16°FMar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 26Feb 22Feb 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°FSep 30Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
28°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
24°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
16°FNov 13Nov 20Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 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°F198192187183179175170164157
32°F219212208204200196192187179
28°F242233228223219215210206199
24°F263254249244240235229222215
20°F284276271265259254249243234
16°F306296290284279274268262252

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
4,734
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,440
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,707
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,382
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,191
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,136
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,219

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,05803
February819013
March606376
April30119217
May97103474
June6294738
July0429894
August1382846
September46175580
October25633278
November594265
December95008

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 22.3 km from Moran. 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 USC00143984 (Iola 1 W). Public domain.