Sedalia climate

Sedalia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sedalia Wtp, 3.3 km from Sedalia, elevation 780 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sedalia Wtp. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 186 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 5, first October 31

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 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 12
32°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 1
28°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
24°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 6
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 24
16°FMar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 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°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 6Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
28°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
20°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 8
16°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 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°F186180174169165160155150143
32°F207200196190186181177172164
28°F231223217212207204200194187
24°F251244239234230225220215207
20°F277268261256251247241235227
16°F299290282277271266261254246

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
5,261
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,187
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,145
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,883
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,757
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,766
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,906

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13004
February893010
March683360
April36616178
May13483420
June13244681
July1369832
August4316776
September73131511
October32125225
November657253
December98609

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 3.3 km from Sedalia. 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 USC00237632 (Sedalia Wtp). Public domain.