Buckner climate

Buckner Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Independence, 17.8 km from Buckner, elevation 985 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Independence. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 198 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 21, first October 17
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 5

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 7May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
32°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29
28°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14
24°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 2
20°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22
16°FMar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 12

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°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
32°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
28°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 14
16°FNov 13Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 18Dec 24

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°F196189184181178174170166159
32°F218211206203198194189184178
28°F241234227223219215210204196
24°F265257250245240235230225217
20°F283274269264260254249244236
16°F303294287281276271267260251

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
5,207
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,245
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,261
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,987
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,848
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,845
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,976

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13402
February895010
March667262
April35513179
May12285432
June10256696
July1384848
August2338801
September63144533
October30823229
November653150
December99605

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 17.8 km from Buckner. 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 USC00234154 (Independence). Public domain.