Beaver City climate

Beaver City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beaver City, 0.8 km from Beaver City, elevation 2148 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beaver City. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 150 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 26, first October 12

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 29May 24May 19May 16May 13May 11May 8May 5May 1
32°FMay 20May 14May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
28°FMay 9May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13
24°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
20°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22
16°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 15Mar 10

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 15Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 8
32°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15
28°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24
24°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2
20°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
16°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22

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°F150145141138134131127122116
32°F168162158154150147143138132
28°F186180175171168164160154148
24°F205199194190186182178174167
20°F226218214209205201197191184
16°F246238233228224220214208201

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
5,934
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,165
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,763
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,582
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,532
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,614
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,824

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18001
February97304
March746035
April4426121
May17863366
June18238670
July1393857
August5321781
September81132505
October39212172
November780022
December1,13900

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 0.8 km from Beaver City. 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 USC00250640 (Beaver City). Public domain.