Ogallala climate

Ogallala Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ogallala, 0.1 km from Ogallala, elevation 3230 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ogallala. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 21

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 21May 17May 14May 12May 10May 7May 6May 3Apr 30
32°FMay 12May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 16
28°FMay 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
20°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 10
16°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28

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 21Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
32°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23
28°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31
24°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
16°FOct 28Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29

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°F161156152149147143140136129
32°F181175171167163160157153147
28°F203196191187183179175170164
24°F221214209206201197193187180
20°F242234229224220216211206198
16°F264256250244239234229222212

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
6,202
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
979
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,321
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,172
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,168
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,307
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,583

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16100
February97302
March789023
April506288
May23641297
June37186601
July3351814
August10292747
September108102451
October4485131
November809014
December1,12401

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 0.1 km from Ogallala. 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 USC00256200 (Ogallala). Public domain.