Sidney climate

Sidney Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sidney, 1.4 km from Sidney, elevation 1933 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sidney. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 137 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 21, first September 18
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 2, first October 6

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°FJun 3May 30May 27May 24May 21May 18May 16May 13May 9
32°FMay 25May 20May 17May 14May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 16May 11May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 18
24°FMay 7May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
20°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 25
16°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 14

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 4Sep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 30
32°FSep 13Sep 18Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
24°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
20°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4Nov 10
16°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 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°F13613112612211811511110799
32°F154147144140137133129124117
28°F174168163159155151147142135
24°F197190184180175172167162155
20°F218211206202196192187182174
16°F235228223218214211206200192

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
7,770
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
593
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,474
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,444
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,537
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,753
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,101

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49300
February1,22401
March98008
April567267
May27022249
June6889472
July11226680
August24202643
September18049334
October577378
November1,00404
December1,37500

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 1.4 km from Sidney. 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 USC00247560 (Sidney). Public domain.