Spearville climate

Spearville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dodge City, 21 km from Spearville, elevation 2590 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dodge 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 28

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 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17
32°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7
28°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 29
24°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 14
20°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3
16°FMar 27Mar 22Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20

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 25Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22
32°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19
20°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29
16°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 11

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°F179173169165162158154150143
32°F198192187183179175171166160
28°F219212207203199194189184177
24°F239232227222218214210203196
20°F261252246242237232227221213
16°F284275268263258253247241231

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
4,815
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,549
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,709
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,390
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,220
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,195
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,306

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99403
February806014
March609374
April33818194
May116108462
June8311753
July1467931
August2406870
September49199602
October28835261
November641152
December96204

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 21 km from Spearville. 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 USW00013985 (Dodge City). Public domain.