Lincoln climate

Lincoln Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp, 1.5 km from Lincoln, elevation 190 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp. 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 May 4 and the first fall freeze around October 6, a growing season of about 153 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 6
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 18

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°FJun 1May 26May 22May 19May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5
32°FMay 16May 11May 8May 5May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25
28°FMay 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13
24°FApr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4
20°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27
16°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16

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 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7
32°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20
28°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25
16°FNov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 21Nov 24Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4

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°F147142138135131127123119114
32°F170164160156153150146143137
28°F195189184180176172168163157
24°F216210206203200196191187180
20°F236230226223219216212208202
16°F255247243238235232228225218

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
8,272
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
337
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,844
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,878
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,042
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,330
Growing degree days, base 60°F
754

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,56500
February1,34500
March1,15902
April719017
May34512174
June10654399
July19144590
August38103530
September21724270
October571155
November89006
December1,29700

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 1.5 km from Lincoln. 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 USC00174683 (Lincoln Sanitary District/wtp). Public domain.