Lima climate

Lima Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lima Wwtp, 2.9 km from Lima, elevation 850 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lima Wwtp. 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 24, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first November 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 20May 13May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 11May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12
28°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 16Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22Mar 18
20°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 11Mar 4
16°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 21

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 28Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 26
32°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 18
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15
16°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 20Dec 26

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°F178172168164160156152147140
32°F199193189185182178174168161
28°F225216212207203199195190184
24°F249241236230226222218213205
20°F273264258252247242238232224
16°F294286280275269264259252244

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
5,926
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
850
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,434
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,251
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,203
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,285
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,499

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20602
February1,01104
March835129
April4637116
May18958347
June28181603
July3264725
August7221679
September82102471
October36016186
November704136
December1,03804

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 2.9 km from Lima. 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 USC00334551 (Lima Wwtp). Public domain.