Neligh climate

Neligh Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oakdale, 8.9 km from Neligh, elevation 1749 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oakdale. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 153 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 23, 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 27May 22May 19May 16May 13May 11May 8May 5May 2
32°FMay 17May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
28°FMay 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10
24°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
20°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18
16°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 7

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 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7
32°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16
28°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24

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°F152147142139135132128123117
32°F171165160157153150146141134
28°F192186181177173169165160153
24°F213207202197194190185181173
20°F234226220216212208204198192
16°F253244239235231226221216209

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
7,035
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
735
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,850
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,767
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,813
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,987
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,295

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,36100
February1,11801
March900119
April545482
May25437279
June48154557
July9260716
August19199645
September14875387
October4966113
November884015
December1,25400

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 8.9 km from Neligh. 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 USC00256135 (Oakdale). Public domain.