Hyden climate

Hyden Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Buckhorn Lake, 21.9 km from Hyden, elevation 780 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Buckhorn Lake. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 188 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first November 3

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 12May 8May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17
32°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8
28°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
24°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 13
20°FApr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10Mar 4Feb 24
16°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 7

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 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
32°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7
28°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 18
24°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 17
16°FNov 17Nov 25Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20Dec 25Jan 2

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°F186181177174170167164160154
32°F204199194191188184180175170
28°F227220215210207203199195189
24°F254245239235230225220215208
20°F282272265260254249244238229
16°F309300292285279274267259250

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
4,428
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,174
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,516
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,137
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,922
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,867
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,951

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January95407
February763013
March608272
April29415222
May102101466
June9231672
July0341806
August1301766
September39159570
October25724259
November566157
December835014

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 21.9 km from Hyden. 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 USC00151080 (Buckhorn Lake). Public domain.