Doniphan climate

Doniphan Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Doniphan, 0.9 km from Doniphan, elevation 289 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Doniphan. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 196 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 3

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 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 6
32°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 25
28°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15
24°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 7Mar 1
20°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17
16°FMar 16Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31

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 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27
32°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 12Nov 18
24°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28Dec 3
20°FNov 6Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 19
16°FNov 18Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24Dec 30Jan 6

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°F193187182179175171167162156
32°F216209204200196191187182176
28°F239231225221216212208203196
24°F267256249243238234228222214
20°F293281274269262257251244236
16°F325310303298291283277268256

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
4,210
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,470
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,947
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,557
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,316
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,222
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,272

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January925012
February730018
March549385
April25524248
May75112503
June4298744
July0428893
August1391855
September32183601
October24228275
November554268
December843015

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 0.9 km from Doniphan. 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 USC00232289 (Doniphan). Public domain.