Hayes Center climate

Hayes Center Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hayes Center 1NW, 1.8 km from Hayes Center, elevation 3045 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hayes Center 1NW. 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 May 3 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 159 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 19

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 25May 20May 17May 14May 12May 9May 7May 4May 1
32°FMay 16May 12May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
24°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27
20°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 14
16°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3

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 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 3Oct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
20°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19
16°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29

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°F158151148144141137133129122
32°F177170166162159156152147142
28°F199192187183179175171166159
24°F221213209204200195190185177
20°F240232227221216212208201194
16°F260252246240236231226219210

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
6,236
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
874
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,229
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,078
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,069
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,203
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,474

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16901
February98404
March791027
April515286
May24735284
June38167580
July5313773
August11256710
September11494439
October4407146
November801021
December1,12201

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 1.8 km from Hayes Center. 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 USW00024020 (Hayes Center 1NW). Public domain.