Roosevelt County climate

Roosevelt County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elida, 18.6 km from Roosevelt County, elevation 4395 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elida. 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 23, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 1

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 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 3
28°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 18
24°FApr 16Apr 7Apr 3Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9Mar 2
20°FApr 3Mar 27Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 5Mar 2Feb 25Feb 18
16°FMar 21Mar 10Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 3Jan 25

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

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°F187179174169165161157152144
32°F205197192187183178173168161
28°F230222216211206200195189179
24°F256248242236230225219214202
20°F283273268262256250244237228
16°F322310302294285279272264252

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
3,613
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,443
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,273
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,772
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,442
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,280
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,279

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January790011
February601026
March4382121
April21316271
May59127534
June2334781
July0400865
August1359823
September29174597
October18530326
November521175
December775012

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 18.6 km from Roosevelt County. 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 USC00292854 (Elida). Public domain.