Buffalo County climate

Buffalo County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kearney 4 Ne, 15.3 km from Buffalo County, elevation 2130 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kearney 4 Ne. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 19

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 20May 15May 13May 10May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 27
32°FMay 12May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
28°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 4
24°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24
20°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
16°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4

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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 3Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30
24°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20
16°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30

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°F162156152149146143139135129
32°F180174170165162158155151144
28°F200194189185181177173168160
24°F220214210205201197193187179
20°F241234229224219215210205197
16°F261252247242237232226220211

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
6,387
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
904
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,274
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,137
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,132
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,260
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,518

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24500
February1,03302
March828025
April497599
May21947315
June31192612
July4308769
August10247702
September11297442
October4328147
November813020
December1,16500

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 15.3 km from Buffalo 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 USC00254335 (Kearney 4 Ne). Public domain.