Sidney climate

Sidney Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for E Sidney, 13.5 km from Sidney, elevation 1155 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for E Sidney. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 23

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 5Jun 1May 30May 27May 24May 21May 18May 14May 8
32°FMay 26May 22May 18May 14May 11May 8May 4Apr 30Apr 27
28°FMay 16May 10May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 14
24°FMay 5Apr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
20°FApr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25
16°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 16

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

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°F148141136131128124120115109
32°F171165160155151147142137130
28°F195188183179174170165159151
24°F219212207202198193188183175
20°F242235230226222218214209202
16°F262255250245242239235230223

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
7,323
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
371
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,181
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,148
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,242
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,469
Growing degree days, base 60°F
837

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34800
February1,18000
March1,05508
April630150
May30316219
June8567433
July18145592
August3699529
September18041316
October515284
November828011
December1,14501

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 13.5 km from Sidney. 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 USC00302454 (E Sidney). Public domain.