Nebraska City climate

Nebraska City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Nebraska City 2NW, 3.4 km from Nebraska City, elevation 1055 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Nebraska City 2NW. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 28

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 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
32°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 4
28°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13
20°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3
16°FMar 29Mar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24

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 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21
32°FOct 3Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
20°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27Dec 2
16°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12

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°F181175171168164160155151145
32°F201195191187182178174169162
28°F222215209206202199194189183
24°F243235229224220215211205199
20°F264254248243239234228223216
16°F281273267262257252246239230

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
5,997
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,077
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,760
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,573
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,512
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,577
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,761

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,28200
February1,02903
March772242
April41810146
May15172395
June15231666
July1346809
August5281741
September84120489
October36516190
November750031
December1,12501

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 3.4 km from Nebraska 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 USC00255810 (Nebraska City 2NW). Public domain.