Barry County climate

Barry County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hastings, 5.5 km from Barry County, elevation 821 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hastings. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 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°FJun 1May 28May 24May 21May 17May 13May 9May 5Apr 30
32°FMay 22May 15May 11May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 11May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
24°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 30
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 16
16°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8

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 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 29Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 28
28°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20

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°F155149144140135132128123116
32°F178171167162158155150144137
28°F203195191186181177173167161
24°F228223217213208204200195185
20°F256247242237233228224218212
16°F277270265260255250244239232

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
6,883
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
537
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,539
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,468
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,536
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,731
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,058

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29300
February1,11901
March965114
April590362
May27732252
June61112501
July16185634
August27145583
September15255359
October4695112
November795016
December1,12102

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 5.5 km from Barry 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 USC00203661 (Hastings). Public domain.