Kenmare climate

Kenmare Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kenmare 1 Wsw, 1.2 km from Kenmare, elevation 1810 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kenmare 1 Wsw. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around September 23, a growing season of about 129 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 14
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first September 23
Median at 28°F
last May 5, first October 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°FJun 5Jun 1May 29May 26May 24May 22May 19May 16May 12
32°FMay 28May 23May 20May 17May 15May 12May 9May 6May 3
28°FMay 19May 14May 10May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 22
24°FMay 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
20°FMay 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 10Apr 5
16°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28

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

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°F12912311911611210810410093
32°F146140136132129126123118112
28°F167160156151148144140135129
24°F185178173169165161156152145
20°F204197191188183179175170164
16°F220212208204200196191187180

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
9,533
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
316
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,576
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,682
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,897
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,229
Growing degree days, base 60°F
695

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,71700
February1,45200
March1,23702
April754027
May38010170
June12151383
July41124549
August67109508
September28821223
October731135
November1,16702
December1,57800

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 1.2 km from Kenmare. 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 USC00324646 (Kenmare 1 Wsw). Public domain.