Higginsville climate

Higginsville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Higginsville, 0.8 km from Higginsville, elevation 836 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Higginsville. 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 24, a growing season of about 195 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 21, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 2

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 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7
32°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26
28°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14
24°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4
20°FMar 30Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 25
16°FMar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 27Feb 21Feb 15

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 29Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 10Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 19
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29
20°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 10
16°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 21

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°F195188183179175172167162155
32°F216210204199195191188182176
28°F240233227222217214209204196
24°F260252247242237233228221215
20°F280272265260256251245239232
16°F299291283277272267262257249

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
5,347
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,232
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,195
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,942
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,819
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,826
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,961

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16502
February92308
March690257
April36314179
May11990440
June10260700
July1378842
August3325787
September65140527
October31823225
November668147
December1,02305

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 0.8 km from Higginsville. 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 USC00233838 (Higginsville). Public domain.