Crowley climate

Crowley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Crowley 2 Ne, 4 km from Crowley, elevation 25 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Crowley 2 Ne. 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 February 20 and the first fall freeze around December 4, a growing season of about 291 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 5, first November 20
Median at 32°F
last February 20, first December 4
Median at 28°F
last January 31, first December 26

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°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 15Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 7
32°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 4Jan 30Jan 18
28°FMar 3Feb 23Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 28Jan 20Jan 11Dec 30
24°FFeb 19Feb 6Feb 1Jan 28Jan 21Jan 14Jan 10Jan 2Dec 25
20°FFeb 6Feb 1Jan 27Jan 18Jan 13Jan 9Jan 6Jan 2Dec 25
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 10
32°FNov 13Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 25Jan 6
28°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 11Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 25
24°FDec 13Dec 23Dec 29Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 15Jan 26Feb 5
20°FDec 23Jan 1Jan 1Jan 5Jan 8Jan 13Jan 21Jan 29Feb 4
16°F–––––––––

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°F289280272266260254247240231
32°F327315305298291285277266256
28°F365352342335327318309302291
24°F365365365365365355344334322
20°F365365365365365365365365348
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
88% of years
24°F or colder
56% of years
20°F or colder
19% of years
16°F or colder
4% 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
1,577
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,781
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,363
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,612
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,949
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,411
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,015

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4398139
February30318186
March16256374
April48142546
May4334795
June0475925
July05391,004
August05421,007
September1411859
October42194618
November19944317
December38018177

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 Crowley. 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 USC00162212 (Crowley 2 Ne). Public domain.