Phelps County climate

Phelps County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Holdrege, 7.2 km from Phelps County, elevation 2320 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Holdrege. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 20

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 23May 18May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 15May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 17
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
24°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 25
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12
16°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4

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 19Sep 23Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
32°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
24°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
20°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
16°FOct 29Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 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°F162156152148145141137133126
32°F182175170166162159154149142
28°F202194190186183178174169162
24°F223216212207203199195190181
20°F242235229225221216212207200
16°F260253248242236232227221214

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
6,355
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
898
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,277
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,138
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,130
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,255
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,513

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24100
February1,02902
March817026
April494498
May22345310
June30187608
July4309770
August10247702
September10797447
October4309148
November813020
December1,15800

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 7.2 km from Phelps 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 USC00253910 (Holdrege). Public domain.