Hickman climate

Hickman Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Crete 4ESE, 20.5 km from Hickman, elevation 1460 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Crete 4ESE. 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 12, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 22

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 15May 11May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 19
32°FMay 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 21Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
20°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9
16°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2

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 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
28°FOct 3Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 14Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
20°FOct 23Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20Nov 26
16°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 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°F171164160156153149146141135
32°F189184179174170167163157152
28°F210203198193189186181175166
24°F230222217213209204200194186
20°F250241235231226222217212204
16°F268260254248243238233228218

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
6,061
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,039
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,672
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,493
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,441
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,510
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
January1,27100
February1,01204
March784135
April4279140
May16964370
June19217648
July3335797
August5275735
September85123492
October37016192
November764029
December1,15101

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 20.5 km from Hickman. 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 USC00252020 (Crete 4ESE). Public domain.