Ness County climate

Ness County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ness City, 3.4 km from Ness County, elevation 2269 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ness City. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 166 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 22

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 20May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
28°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 23
20°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15Mar 10
16°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28

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 19Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15
32°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
28°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
16°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3

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°F166160155152149145141137129
32°F184178174169166162158154147
28°F204197192189185181177172166
24°F225218212208204200195191185
20°F245238232228224219214208200
16°F267258252247242237232225217

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
5,375
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,356
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,200
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,954
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,856
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,895
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,064

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08501
February89008
March686150
April40310150
May15377399
June13275712
July2435899
August4368829
September64167556
October34023216
November704135
December1,03202

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 3.4 km from Ness County. 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 USC00145692 (Ness City). Public domain.