Cleveland climate

Cleveland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Olathe Johnson CO Exec AP, 22.8 km from Cleveland, elevation 1070 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Olathe Johnson CO Exec AP. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 204 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 8, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last March 30, 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 3Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 4
32°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
28°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 11
24°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 1
20°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20
16°FMar 17Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 9

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 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
32°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
28°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13
16°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25

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°F201194189185182178174169161
32°F223216212208204200196191184
28°F246239232228224219215211203
24°F268260254249244240234229221
20°F287279273268263259253246238
16°F306297290286281277271266257

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
4,926
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,351
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,507
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,204
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,035
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,002
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,106

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08603
February853012
March620372
April32016201
May10593456
June6278721
July0409874
August1373837
September51152551
October28527249
November633153
December96707

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 22.8 km from Cleveland. 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 USW00003967 (Olathe Johnson CO Exec AP). Public domain.