Rushville climate

Rushville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rushville, 4.3 km from Rushville, elevation 3790 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rushville. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 137 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 13, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 7

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°FJun 5May 31May 29May 26May 24May 21May 18May 15May 11
32°FMay 25May 21May 18May 15May 13May 11May 8May 5May 1
28°FMay 15May 11May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
24°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
20°FApr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1Mar 25
16°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 11

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 5Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1
32°FSep 14Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10
28°FSep 25Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19
24°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 28
20°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
16°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16

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°F13412912512111811411010599
32°F154148145141137133130125119
28°F173167163160156152149144138
24°F194187182179175172168163158
20°F218209203198195190186181175
16°F237229222217212207203198189

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
7,297
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
579
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,382
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,341
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,451
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,698
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,070

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,27900
February1,09201
March899011
April635045
May32913205
June7790466
July16232682
August26191631
September18851332
October573172
November92806
December1,25700

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 4.3 km from Rushville. 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 USC00257415 (Rushville). Public domain.