Lincoln County climate

Lincoln County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for N Platte Exp Farm, 1.1 km from Lincoln County, elevation 3025 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for N Platte Exp Farm. 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 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 11, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 25, 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 22May 18May 16May 13May 11May 9May 7May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 15May 11May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 19
28°FMay 7May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 8
24°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 27
20°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 14
16°FApr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4

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 18Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23
28°FOct 3Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30
24°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28

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°F158152148144140137133129123
32°F176170166162158154151146139
28°F197190185180176172168164156
24°F218211205200196192187180173
20°F239230224219215211205199192
16°F257250244239233228222217209

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
6,541
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
794
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,016
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,894
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,911
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,072
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,368

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22000
February1,02202
March828021
April543275
May26828261
June48144547
July6288747
August13241693
September12487422
October4695128
November836016
December1,16500

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 1.1 km from Lincoln 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 USC00256075 (N Platte Exp Farm). Public domain.