Stevens County climate

Stevens County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hugoton, 4 km from Stevens County, elevation 3110 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hugoton. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 30

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 11May 7May 3May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16
32°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
28°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 11
20°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 1
16°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17

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 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30
16°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10

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°F183177172168164161157153147
32°F202196191187183180176171165
28°F223216211207202198193188182
24°F243235230225221216212207199
20°F264257252247242238232227219
16°F288281274268264258253247239

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
4,769
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,349
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,489
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,164
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,992
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,971
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,093

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January96903
February783012
March601166
April33714190
May11394452
June9282723
July1418882
August3353815
September51166568
October29821236
November646143
December95903

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 4 km from Stevens 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 USC00143855 (Hugoton). Public domain.