Scribner climate

Scribner Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for W Pt, 20.2 km from Scribner, elevation 1310 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for W Pt. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 165 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 17, first October 22

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 20May 16May 13May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 25
32°FMay 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14
28°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
24°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 23
20°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 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 18Sep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14
32°FSep 26Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23
28°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2
24°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
16°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1

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°F165159154151147144140136129
32°F186179173169165161157153146
28°F205199194190187182178173165
24°F226219213208205201197192184
20°F244237232228223219214209200
16°F262254250245241237233228221

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
6,775
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
914
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,234
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,128
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,141
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,272
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,529

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,37800
February1,12601
March880124
April5027103
May20257338
June27201624
July5307767
August12236690
September11995432
October44311143
November846020
December1,23700

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 20.2 km from Scribner. 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 USC00259200 (W Pt). Public domain.