Mead climate

Mead Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mead 6S, 9.5 km from Mead, elevation 1155 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mead 6S. 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 13, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 13
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 16May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
32°FMay 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19
20°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 8
16°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 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 20Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24
28°FOct 6Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1
24°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14
20°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25
16°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2

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°F170164160155152149145140133
32°F190183178174170165162157150
28°F210202197194190186181176168
24°F229222217212208204200195188
20°F249241236231226221217212203
16°F268260253248244239235229221

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
6,382
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
964
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,448
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,304
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,283
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,380
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,606

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32200
February1,07402
March821134
April4587120
May18458353
June20211640
July3318780
August8253710
September101104457
October40713165
November806023
December1,17901

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 9.5 km from Mead. 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 USC00255362 (Mead 6S). Public domain.