Warrensburg climate

Warrensburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Warrensburg 4NW, 6.1 km from Warrensburg, elevation 796 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Warrensburg 4NW. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 27, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 3, 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 3May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
32°FMay 4Apr 28Apr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31
28°FApr 23Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18
24°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 5
20°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23
16°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 20Feb 13

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 27Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23
32°FOct 6Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14
24°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 21Nov 27
20°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7
16°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 19

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°F187180174170166162157151144
32°F209203197194189184179173166
28°F230222217213210206200194185
24°F254246240235230225220214207
20°F277269263257252248242235226
16°F298288280275270265259254245

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
4,997
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,356
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,466
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,174
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,022
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,001
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,112

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10302
February87808
March642265
April32517201
May10198465
June8275717
July1413877
August2366829
September57157552
October29326243
November624157
December96407

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 6.1 km from Warrensburg. 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 USC00238712 (Warrensburg 4NW). Public domain.