Falls City climate

Falls City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Falls City Brenner Fld, 2.3 km from Falls City, elevation 980 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Falls City Brenner Fld. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first October 26

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

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 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20
32°FOct 1Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
28°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 19
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
16°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12

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°F179173168163159155151146138
32°F200193189184180176171165157
28°F219213208204200196192188181
24°F244235229225221216211206198
20°F264256249244239234229224216
16°F284276270265260255249244234

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
5,541
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,238
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,107
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,875
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,775
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,802
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,955

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19501
February94607
March695358
April36715175
May12693438
June10270711
July1379843
August4316778
September76139515
October34022212
November715136
December1,06802

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 2.3 km from Falls City. 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 USW00094957 (Falls City Brenner Fld). Public domain.