Creighton climate

Creighton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Creighton, 0.8 km from Creighton, elevation 1660 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Creighton. 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 6, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 6
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 16

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 13May 11May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 26
32°FMay 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
28°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
20°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 16
16°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8

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 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10
32°FSep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19
28°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
24°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
20°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16
16°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26

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°F158153149145141138135131124
32°F178171166162158155151146141
28°F197190185181177174170164157
24°F215209205200196192188183177
20°F233226221217213210205199193
16°F252244238234230225220215208

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
6,916
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
872
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,118
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,021
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,045
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,192
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,466

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,36900
February1,12701
March902019
April533687
May21753319
June32184602
July4303764
August12236688
September12184419
October4618132
November869016
December1,26900

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 Creighton. 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 USC00251990 (Creighton). Public domain.