Cushing climate

Cushing Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Tenants Harbor, 3.5 km from Cushing, elevation 21 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tenants Harbor. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 14, 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 24May 19May 16May 12May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 8May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17
28°FApr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3
24°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
20°FApr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10
16°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 15Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 2

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 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
32°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19
24°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1
20°FNov 16Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Nov 29Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13
16°FNov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 4Dec 6Dec 10Dec 13Dec 17Dec 22

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°F170164160156153149145140133
32°F196190186182178175171167160
28°F223217213210205201198195189
24°F249242237233230226223219212
20°F269263259255251247243239233
16°F288281276271268264259254249

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
6,877
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
122
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,696
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,616
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,712
Growing degree days, base 55°F
990
Growing degree days, base 60°F
448

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20000
February1,03900
March96301
April67107
May415190
June1769285
July4852470
August3847474
September16611297
October448082
November70808
December1,00800

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 3.5 km from Cushing. 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 USC00176881 (Tenants Harbor). Public domain.