Minatare climate

Minatare Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Scottsbluff Heilig AP, 10.1 km from Minatare, elevation 3945 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Scottsbluff Heilig AP. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 149 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 28, first October 13

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 31May 25May 22May 19May 16May 14May 11May 8May 5
32°FMay 18May 13May 11May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25
28°FMay 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
24°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2
20°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 17
16°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9Mar 5

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 12Sep 16Sep 19Sep 23Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 6
32°FSep 21Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15
28°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
24°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1
20°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 12
16°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22

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°F147142138134130127123119113
32°F166160156152149146142138131
28°F185179174170167164160157151
24°F205199194190186183179174168
20°F230220214209205200196192185
16°F250241235229224219213207199

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
6,312
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
853
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,077
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,933
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,950
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,120
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,425

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13801
February95702
March777019
April528171
May25529269
June45157563
July4322782
August12262714
September12681414
October4902105
November834010
December1,14701

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 10.1 km from Minatare. 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 USW00024028 (Scottsbluff Heilig AP). Public domain.