Lyon County climate

Lyon County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Yerington, 3.6 km from Lyon County, elevation 4380 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Yerington. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 26

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 4May 30May 24May 20May 14May 11May 6May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 16May 11May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 13
28°FMay 2Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 25
24°FApr 16Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 3
20°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 9
16°FMar 9Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 15Feb 10Feb 3Jan 28Jan 12

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 21Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
24°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17
20°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27
16°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11

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°F162155151146142138133126118
32°F188180175170167163158153145
28°F214207202197191187182176167
24°F247239232226220215209204197
20°F278269262257251246240233224
16°F319305296288282276269262253

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
5,090
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
922
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,619
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,338
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,240
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,314
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,548

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January95301
February74502
March603037
April4181106
May20134311
June47152556
July2343806
August4289750
September6298488
October3536167
November711016
December99202

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 3.6 km from Lyon 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 USC00269229 (Yerington). Public domain.