Sedgwick County climate

Sedgwick County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wichita, 3.8 km from Sedgwick County, elevation 1335 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wichita. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 199 days.

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

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 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
28°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 22
24°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 2
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
16°FNov 18Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 26

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°F199192188183180176172167161
32°F221213208203199195190185179
28°F245237231225221215211205198
24°F267258252247241237232225216
20°F289280273268263257252245237
16°F309301295289283277272265257

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
4,414
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,774
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,200
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,833
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,612
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,531
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,586

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98603
February767017
March550493
April27723236
May79132519
June4360807
July0512976
August0462927
September32233652
October23145309
November576267
December91106

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 3.8 km from Sedgwick 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 USW00003928 (Wichita). Public domain.