Nevada climate

Nevada Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bucyrus, 13.5 km from Nevada, elevation 955 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bucyrus. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 6

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 16May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16
32°FMay 6Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
28°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 23
24°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12
20°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1
16°FMar 24Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 17

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°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
32°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24
24°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
20°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 19
16°FNov 24Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 20Dec 24Dec 30

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°F188182176172168164160155147
32°F210203198194190186182176169
28°F235227222218214210205200192
24°F260253247242237232228222214
20°F284274269264259254249243234
16°F305297291285280274270264253

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
5,592
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,010
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,754
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,534
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,450
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,505
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,691

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15004
February97803
March799133
April42311141
May16078391
June23218645
July2307770
August5256716
September69118501
October33820199
November664141
December98107

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 13.5 km from Nevada. 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 USC00331072 (Bucyrus). Public domain.