Springfield climate

Springfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gretna 4NE, 9.8 km from Springfield, elevation 1240 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gretna 4NE. 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 18, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 10, first October 27

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 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
32°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
28°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
24°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14
20°FApr 9Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6
16°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28

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

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°F179172168164160157153149143
32°F197192187183179175170165159
28°F218211207203199195191185178
24°F240231226222217212207201194
20°F258250244239234230225220212
16°F276268262257253248243238229

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
6,209
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,044
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,602
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,442
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,408
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,496
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,707

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29600
February1,05103
March804238
April4497126
May17467371
June10228667
July2339801
August6275735
September88112476
October38814172
November782019
December1,15900

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 9.8 km from Springfield. 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 USC00253467 (Gretna 4NE). Public domain.