Webster climate

Webster Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Webster 2 Ne, 4.7 km from Webster, elevation 275 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Webster 2 Ne. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first November 4

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 25May 21May 18May 15May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 16May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5
24°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24
20°FApr 8Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14
16°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 19Mar 16Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6

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

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°F167160156151148145141135130
32°F192184179175171166162157150
28°F216210205201196192188182174
24°F243235230226222219214210202
20°F264257252247243240235230223
16°F282275270266262258253248242

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
6,470
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
563
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,720
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,616
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,652
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,819
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,114

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22401
February1,07601
March946012
April590251
May25824261
June50100501
July8195652
August12171624
September11766400
October4154124
November726023
December1,04901

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 4.7 km from Webster. 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 USC00309049 (Webster 2 Ne). Public domain.