Beatrice climate

Beatrice Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beatrice 1N, 3.5 km from Beatrice, elevation 1297 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beatrice 1N. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 172 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 23

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 13May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 19
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 7
16°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28

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 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 14Oct 19
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
24°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
20°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 26
16°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5

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°F171166162158154150147143136
32°F191185180176172168165160152
28°F211205200195192187183177170
24°F233225219215211206202196189
20°F254245239235229225220214207
16°F273266259254249243238231222

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
6,062
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,135
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,745
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,578
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,536
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,609
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,805

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26500
February1,02303
March781141
April4427129
May16366376
June17241675
July2372835
August6305764
September84124493
October37417190
November772127
December1,13401

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 3.5 km from Beatrice. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00250622 (Beatrice 1N). Public domain.