Alliance climate

Alliance Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Akron Canton Rgnl AP, 27.5 km from Alliance, elevation 1208 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Akron Canton Rgnl AP. 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 April 24 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 184 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first November 7

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 22May 17May 12May 8May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
32°FMay 11May 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
28°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29
24°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 7
16°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 14Mar 10Mar 8Mar 3Feb 25

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 30Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27
32°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 21
24°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
20°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 19
16°FNov 21Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 19Dec 24Dec 29

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°F182176170166162158153147140
32°F205198192188184180175169161
28°F229222216213208204199195187
24°F252244239234230226222217211
20°F274265260256251246242236230
16°F297289283276272266261255247

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
5,700
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
870
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,527
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,317
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,247
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,315
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,520

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15004
February97305
March810134
April4348132
May17764361
June30177597
July2277739
August7233691
September8496464
October36413175
November677038
December99206

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 27.5 km from Alliance. 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 USW00014895 (Akron Canton Rgnl AP). Public domain.