Platte County climate

Platte County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Columbus 3 Ne, 20 km from Platte County, elevation 1450 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Columbus 3 Ne. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 24

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

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 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
32°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
20°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
16°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4

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°F174167163160156153149145139
32°F193187182178174170167163155
28°F213207201198193190186180173
24°F234226220217213209204199192
20°F253245240235230226220215207
16°F273263258253248244238233225

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
6,322
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,087
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,597
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,453
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,433
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,529
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,745

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,30000
February1,06002
March810132
April4488125
May16871381
June17239672
July2357820
August6282741
September89118482
October41412161
November819019
December1,19000

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 20 km from Platte County. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00251825 (Columbus 3 Ne). Public domain.