Hutchinson climate

Hutchinson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hutchinson 1 N, 2.3 km from Hutchinson, elevation 1095 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hutchinson 1 N. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 19

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 21May 14May 11May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 24
32°FMay 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15
28°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5
24°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 26
20°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 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 16Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 25Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
28°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11
20°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 21
16°FNov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 30

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°F164158152149145141138134128
32°F183176171167163159155150143
28°F202196191186183178174169162
24°F223215211206203198194189181
20°F240234228224220216212206198
16°F256247242238234231226221214

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
7,883
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
704
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,681
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,665
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,758
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,954
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,263

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,59900
February1,31900
March1,02806
April584369
May23842295
June44156563
July8245702
August17178626
September14571386
October5277102
November97109
December1,40400

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 2.3 km from Hutchinson. 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 USC00213962 (Hutchinson 1 N). Public domain.