Loup City climate

Loup City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Loup City, 0.4 km from Loup City, elevation 2070 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Loup City. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 17

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 24May 20May 17May 14May 12May 9May 6May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 14May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
24°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26
20°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 6

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 16Sep 21Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11
32°FSep 25Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19
28°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
24°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
20°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 18
16°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 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°F156151146143139136132127121
32°F177171166162158154150146139
28°F197191186182178174170166158
24°F218212206202198195190186178
20°F239231226221217213208203196
16°F257249244238234230225219211

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
6,336
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
959
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,354
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,208
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,198
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,321
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,576

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24300
February1,02502
March811028
April4866105
May21549318
June29202624
July3330792
August8266722
September11299443
October4357144
November810020
December1,15900

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 0.4 km from Loup City. 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 USC00254985 (Loup City). Public domain.