Erick climate

Erick Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Erick, 0.3 km from Erick, elevation 2060 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Erick. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 197 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 22, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 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°FMay 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
32°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
28°FApr 18Apr 11Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18Mar 10
24°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28
20°FMar 25Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 15
16°FMar 13Mar 7Mar 3Mar 1Feb 25Feb 21Feb 15Feb 7Jan 30

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 4Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29
32°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
28°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
24°FOct 28Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12
16°FNov 17Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 23Jan 1

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°F198191186182179175170165158
32°F219212206202197193189184176
28°F242234228223218213208203195
24°F265257251246240235229222214
20°F289279273267262258253245236
16°F319307300294287281275267258

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
3,792
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,843
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,627
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,165
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,860
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,703
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,701

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January845011
February668025
March4745123
April22431281
May58148556
June2372820
July0515980
August0481945
September22244672
October18845340
November502392
December810014

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 0.3 km from Erick. 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 USC00342944 (Erick). Public domain.