Dickey County climate

Dickey County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fullerton 1 Ese, 9.8 km from Dickey County, elevation 1435 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fullerton 1 Ese. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 141 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 5

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 31May 27May 24May 21May 19May 16May 14May 11May 6
32°FMay 23May 18May 15May 12May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 27
28°FMay 13May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 15
24°FMay 4May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
20°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
16°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20

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

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°F138134130126123120116112106
32°F157152147143141137134130124
28°F177171166162158154151147141
24°F197191185181177174169164157
20°F217210205201196193188183176
16°F234228222218214210206201193

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
8,515
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
489
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,159
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,193
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,337
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,594
Growing degree days, base 60°F
973

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,63700
February1,34800
March1,10402
April655142
May29822232
June64100487
July16187635
August33140572
September20338301
October614263
November1,06203
December1,48200

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 9.8 km from Dickey 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 USC00323287 (Fullerton 1 Ese). Public domain.