Offutt Air Force Base climate

Offutt Air Force Base Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Springfield 7E, 9.6 km from Offutt Air Force Base, elevation 1065 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Springfield 7E. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 17, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 6, first October 29

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 12May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
32°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 3
28°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
24°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3
16°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 23

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 24Sep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30
28°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
20°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2
16°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 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°F183176172167163159155150144
32°F203196191187183179175170161
28°F223216212208203200195190184
24°F242236231226222218213207200
20°F263256249244240236231225216
16°F280274268263258253248242233

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
6,226
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,009
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,597
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,438
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,397
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,475
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,677

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31701
February1,06502
March807236
April43610138
May16563375
June12203642
July2346809
August7266724
September88106470
October38713177
November783023
December1,15801

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 9.6 km from Offutt Air Force Base. 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 USC00258088 (Springfield 7E). Public domain.