Cherry County climate

Cherry County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Valentine NWR, 35 km from Cherry County, elevation 2940 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Valentine NWR. 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 11, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 20, 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 24May 19May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 1Apr 27
32°FMay 12May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
28°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
20°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 16Mar 11
16°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2

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 18Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
28°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22
16°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29

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°F161155150147143139135130124
32°F182175171167163159155150144
28°F203196191186182179175169162
24°F223217211206201197192186179
20°F244235229224219216211204195
16°F263254248243238233227221213

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
6,061
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
965
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,479
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,290
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,254
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,353
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,592

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15801
February97006
March776138
April4915108
May22245314
June41171582
July5332792
August9283739
September102115471
October41812166
November770135
December1,10002

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 35 km from Cherry 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 USC00258755 (Valentine NWR). Public domain.