Red Cloud climate

Red Cloud Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Red Cloud, 1 km from Red Cloud, elevation 1732 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Red Cloud. 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 5, a growing season of about 157 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 16

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 25May 19May 15May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 14May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11Apr 7
24°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
20°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21Mar 15
16°FApr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10Mar 3

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 15Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10
32°FSep 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
28°FSep 29Oct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
20°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 19
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23Nov 28

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°F158151146143140136131127120
32°F176169165161157153148144137
28°F196189184180176172167161153
24°F216209204199196191186180172
20°F237228223218213209206200191
16°F257248242238233228223217211

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
6,210
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,124
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,596
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,448
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,430
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,536
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,768

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24300
February1,01603
March796132
April4626117
May19260350
June21237666
July2382845
August6306764
September101120475
October41413160
November800020
December1,15600

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 1 km from Red Cloud. 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 USC00257070 (Red Cloud). Public domain.