Hastings climate

Hastings Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hastings 4N, 6.8 km from Hastings, elevation 1938 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hastings 4N. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 23

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 12May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
28°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 18
20°FApr 12Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9
16°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1

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 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
20°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23
16°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Dec 3

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°F169163160156152148144140136
32°F191184179175171167163158152
28°F210202198194190187182176170
24°F230223217213209205200195188
20°F250241235231226221216211201
16°F268260253249244239234229219

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
6,085
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,016
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,571
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,397
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,359
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,448
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,668

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22900
February1,00204
March773137
April4547120
May18360356
June19219651
July2334797
August7267725
September93115476
October40013168
November785025
December1,13901

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 6.8 km from Hastings. 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 USC00253660 (Hastings 4N). Public domain.