Scott City climate

Scott City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Scott City, 1.3 km from Scott City, elevation 2974 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Scott 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 20, 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 23May 17May 14May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 14
28°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 22
20°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 9
16°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 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 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
24°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
20°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23
16°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 4

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°F166161156153150146142138131
32°F185179175170167163159155148
28°F206199195190186182178173165
24°F227218214210206202199194186
20°F247240233228224219214209202
16°F269259254249243238232226217

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
5,518
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,225
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,961
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,732
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,653
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,714
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,905

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08801
February89605
March706041
April4266133
May16967377
June19259690
July2403866
August4333794
September73142523
October36115195
November728027
December1,04801

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 1.3 km from Scott City. 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 USC00147271 (Scott City). Public domain.