Saunders County climate

Saunders County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Weston 3NW, 11.8 km from Saunders County, elevation 1365 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Weston 3NW. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 14, 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 15May 11May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
32°FMay 5May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
24°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10
16°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1

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 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16
32°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
28°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
20°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26
16°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5

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°F172166161158153150146142135
32°F193186182177174170166160154
28°F212205201197193189185180173
24°F233226219215211207203197191
20°F253244239233228223219213206
16°F271261256251246241236230222

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
6,353
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
969
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,461
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,315
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,297
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,394
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,615

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,30800
February1,06003
March832133
April4577127
May17767371
June16217651
July4319780
August9250707
September10597446
October40711161
November798020
December1,18101

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 11.8 km from Saunders 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 USC00259193 (Weston 3NW). Public domain.