Burt County Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tekamah. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 165 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 6, first October 1
- Median at 32°F
- last April 28, first October 10
- Median at 28°F
- last April 18, first October 21
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 18 | May 14 | May 11 | May 8 | May 6 | May 3 | May 1 | Apr 29 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | May 8 | May 4 | May 2 | Apr 30 | Apr 28 | Apr 25 | Apr 22 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 23 | Apr 21 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 9 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Apr 23 | Apr 19 | Apr 15 | Apr 11 | Apr 9 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F | Apr 16 | Apr 10 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 28 | Mar 23 | Mar 19 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F | Apr 6 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 25 | Mar 21 | Mar 18 | Mar 14 | Mar 10 | Mar 6 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 5 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 165 | 159 | 155 | 151 | 148 | 144 | 140 | 136 | 130 |
| 32°F | 183 | 177 | 172 | 168 | 165 | 162 | 157 | 153 | 147 |
| 28°F | 203 | 197 | 192 | 188 | 184 | 180 | 176 | 171 | 165 |
| 24°F | 223 | 215 | 211 | 207 | 203 | 199 | 195 | 190 | 183 |
| 20°F | 242 | 235 | 229 | 224 | 220 | 216 | 212 | 207 | 200 |
| 16°F | 261 | 253 | 248 | 243 | 239 | 235 | 230 | 224 | 217 |
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
- 6,461
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,018
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 5,506
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,370
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 3,350
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,450
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,670
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,348 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,099 | 0 | 2 |
| March | 841 | 1 | 31 |
| April | 465 | 7 | 118 |
| May | 171 | 67 | 373 |
| June | 18 | 227 | 658 |
| July | 3 | 331 | 794 |
| August | 7 | 263 | 721 |
| September | 96 | 108 | 465 |
| October | 400 | 14 | 169 |
| November | 813 | 0 | 20 |
| December | 1,200 | 0 | 1 |
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 11.6 km from Burt County. 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 USC00258480 (Tekamah). Public domain.