Nance County climate

Nance County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Genoa 2 W, 19.9 km from Nance County, elevation 1590 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Genoa 2 W. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 157 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 15

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 19May 15May 13May 10May 7May 5May 1Apr 27
32°FMay 13May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 26Apr 22Apr 16
28°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
24°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
20°FApr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 14
16°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 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 14Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
28°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25

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°F157151147144141137133128122
32°F177171165161157154151146141
28°F195188184180177173169164156
24°F215208204200195192187182176
20°F234227222217213209204200193
16°F255246241236232227222216208

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
6,315
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
908
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,372
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,221
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,199
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,308
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,542

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,27700
February1,04302
March798131
April4568119
May18658350
June23198625
July4299759
August10233688
September103101453
October41811153
November815019
December1,18300

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 19.9 km from Nance 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 USC00253185 (Genoa 2 W). Public domain.