Dodge County climate

Dodge County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fremont, 22.7 km from Dodge County, elevation 1180 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fremont. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 172 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 24

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 16May 10May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1
24°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Feb 28

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 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
32°FSep 29Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 16
20°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
16°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5

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°F171165161157153149146142136
32°F191186180176172169165160152
28°F212205201197193190185180172
24°F234225220216211207203197191
20°F254245239235230225221215209
16°F271263257252247243238232223

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
6,301
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,047
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,587
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,436
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,407
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,495
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,707

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31400
February1,06703
March818134
April4459130
May16970378
June17231664
July2340803
August7270728
September94112471
October39614174
November795023
December1,17800

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 22.7 km from Dodge 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 USC00253050 (Fremont). Public domain.