Manning Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dickinson Rch Hq. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around September 24, a growing season of about 127 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 28, first September 16
- Median at 32°F
- last May 18, first September 24
- Median at 28°F
- last May 9, first October 3
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 11 | Jun 5 | Jun 2 | May 30 | May 28 | May 25 | May 23 | May 19 | May 15 |
| 32°F | May 31 | May 27 | May 24 | May 21 | May 18 | May 15 | May 13 | May 10 | May 5 |
| 28°F | May 21 | May 17 | May 14 | May 12 | May 9 | May 6 | May 3 | Apr 30 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | May 13 | May 9 | May 5 | May 2 | Apr 29 | Apr 25 | Apr 21 | Apr 18 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | May 3 | Apr 29 | Apr 24 | Apr 20 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 9 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Apr 24 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 13 | Apr 10 | Apr 7 | Apr 5 | Apr 2 | Mar 27 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 3 | Sep 7 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 |
| 32°F | Sep 11 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 |
| 28°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 24°F | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 20°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 16°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 127 | 122 | 118 | 114 | 110 | 106 | 102 | 97 | 89 |
| 32°F | 146 | 139 | 135 | 131 | 127 | 123 | 119 | 115 | 108 |
| 28°F | 165 | 159 | 153 | 150 | 146 | 142 | 138 | 134 | 126 |
| 24°F | 185 | 179 | 174 | 169 | 165 | 161 | 156 | 152 | 144 |
| 20°F | 204 | 198 | 193 | 189 | 185 | 180 | 176 | 171 | 163 |
| 16°F | 223 | 215 | 209 | 205 | 201 | 197 | 193 | 188 | 180 |
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
- 8,705
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 414
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 3,846
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 2,906
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,088
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,394
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 829
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,575 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,312 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1,113 | 0 | 3 |
| April | 714 | 0 | 30 |
| May | 383 | 9 | 166 |
| June | 117 | 57 | 394 |
| July | 29 | 169 | 604 |
| August | 47 | 146 | 565 |
| September | 238 | 30 | 273 |
| October | 674 | 1 | 49 |
| November | 1,062 | 0 | 4 |
| December | 1,441 | 0 | 0 |
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 6.7 km from Manning. 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 USC00322193 (Dickinson Rch Hq). Public domain.