Kidder County climate

Kidder County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Steele 4N, 15.9 km from Kidder County, elevation 1853 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Steele 4N. 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 25, a growing season of about 133 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first September 25
Median at 28°F
last May 5, 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°FJun 7Jun 2May 30May 27May 25May 22May 20May 17May 13
32°FMay 28May 24May 20May 17May 15May 12May 10May 7May 4
28°FMay 19May 13May 10May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 22
24°FMay 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
20°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
16°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24

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 3Sep 8Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 29
32°FSep 12Sep 18Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 8
28°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
24°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
20°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
16°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 15

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°F13012512111811411110710396
32°F151144141137133129125120114
28°F170163159155151148144139132
24°F190184179174170166162157151
20°F208202198194190185181176170
16°F227219215210206202198193185

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
8,895
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
413
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,935
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,984
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,150
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,438
Growing degree days, base 60°F
852

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,67500
February1,39400
March1,15503
April692035
May34313196
June9966419
July24159600
August46135554
September22640286
October645257
November1,08502
December1,51100

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 15.9 km from Kidder County. 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 USC00328366 (Steele 4N). Public domain.