Daniels County climate

Daniels County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Scobey 4 Nw, 7.9 km from Daniels County, elevation 2390 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Scobey 4 Nw. 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 May 28 and the first fall freeze around September 6, a growing season of about 99 days.

Median at 32°F
last May 28, first September 6
Median at 28°F
last May 19, first September 16

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 13Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 28May 26May 24May 20May 16
28°FJun 1May 27May 24May 22May 19May 16May 14May 11May 7
24°FMay 23May 18May 15May 12May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 28
20°FMay 13May 8May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 13
16°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 3

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°F–––––––––
32°FAug 24Aug 30Sep 1Sep 4Sep 6Sep 9Sep 11Sep 14Sep 19
28°FSep 3Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 20Sep 23Sep 28
24°FSep 10Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 7
20°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
16°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29

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°F948780756963575141
32°F1171111071039996918676
28°F138131126123120116112108101
24°F156149145141138134131126119
20°F176170165161157153149143136
16°F201192187182177173167162154

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
9,292
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
305
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,553
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,632
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,839
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,174
Growing degree days, base 60°F
656

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,67200
February1,39100
March1,15902
April701028
May3897152
June14239349
July47123541
August67116516
September29519215
October717136
November1,15601
December1,55400

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 7.9 km from Daniels County. 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 USC00247425 (Scobey 4 Nw). Public domain.