Ozawkie climate

Ozawkie Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Valley Falls 3 Sw, 8 km from Ozawkie, elevation 1051 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Valley Falls 3 Sw. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 21, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 6

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 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
32°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27
28°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 14
24°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3
20°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25
16°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 26Feb 22Feb 15

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 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
28°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2
20°FNov 7Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12
16°FNov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 16Dec 22

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°F197191186182178174170164156
32°F218211206203199195190186178
28°F243234229224219215211205197
24°F264255250245239235230223216
20°F280272268263258253248243235
16°F300291286281276271267261253

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
5,120
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,439
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,548
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,261
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,106
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,081
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,190

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13101
February90308
March663466
April33315200
May114104460
June5298742
July0443908
August2372835
September56170564
October26533271
November635148
December1,01203

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 8 km from Ozawkie. 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 USC00148341 (Valley Falls 3 Sw). Public domain.