Cozad climate

Cozad Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eustis 2 Nw, 20.1 km from Cozad, elevation 2734 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eustis 2 Nw. 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 12, a growing season of about 165 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 12
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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 21May 16May 12May 10May 7May 5May 4May 1Apr 26
32°FMay 11May 6May 3May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
28°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5
24°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 28Mar 21
20°FApr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 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 21Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24
28°FOct 4Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
20°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F164158154151147144140135129
32°F184177172168165161157152145
28°F203197191188183179175169161
24°F225218212208203200196191185
20°F244236231225221216212206198
16°F264256249244239234229224215

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
6,338
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
915
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,291
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,150
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,141
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,265
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,525

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21800
February1,01704
March811028
April503498
May22946310
June35183598
July4318779
August9257713
September11099446
October4418145
November809019
December1,15301

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 20.1 km from Cozad. 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 USC00252790 (Eustis 2 Nw). Public domain.