Lincoln climate

Lincoln Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lincoln Nepp, 0.4 km from Lincoln, elevation 807 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lincoln Nepp. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 149 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 20, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 7, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 17

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 1May 28May 25May 22May 20May 17May 15May 12May 8
32°FMay 19May 15May 11May 8May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 25
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1
20°FApr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22
16°FApr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 19Mar 15

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 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5
32°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 13Oct 19
28°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29Nov 3
24°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 12Nov 17
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27
16°FNov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 7

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°F144138134130126123120116110
32°F167160156153149145142138132
28°F197190184180175172167162155
24°F221215210207203199195189183
20°F242236231227223220216212205
16°F260254249246242238234230224

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
7,919
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
303
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,822
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,861
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,014
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,300
Growing degree days, base 60°F
715

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,45500
February1,26500
March1,11300
April696023
May3468163
June10652397
July19124570
August4285508
September20532293
October569253
November88107
December1,22300

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 0.4 km from Lincoln. 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 USC00274734 (Lincoln Nepp). Public domain.