Kimberling City climate

Kimberling City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Galena, 19.8 km from Kimberling City, elevation 1027 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Galena. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 187 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first November 1

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 11May 6May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13
32°FMay 4Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Mar 31
28°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 18
24°FApr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 11Mar 5
20°FMar 30Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 21
16°FMar 17Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 15Feb 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 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 24
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 16
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26
20°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 11
16°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 11Dec 18Dec 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°F185179175170166162157152147
32°F209202196192187183179173165
28°F232224218213209205201196188
24°F256247242236231226220214207
20°F281272266261256250245238228
16°F306297292284278273267260250

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
4,523
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,368
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,683
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,331
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,123
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,063
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,143

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January97808
February767017
March581482
April29621227
May103100466
June8273715
July1394859
August2380843
September51165566
October26728261
November584268
December887013

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 19.8 km from Kimberling City. 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 USC00233094 (Galena). Public domain.