Kansas climate

Kansas Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kansas 2 Ne, 2 km from Kansas, elevation 1190 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kansas 2 Ne. 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 March 31 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 216 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 13, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last March 31, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 19, first November 12

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°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 27
32°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 13
28°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28
24°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17
20°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 13Feb 3
16°FMar 9Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 17Feb 11Feb 6Jan 30Jan 20

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 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
32°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 19
28°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
24°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12
20°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 22Dec 30
16°FNov 26Dec 2Dec 8Dec 14Dec 21Dec 26Dec 31Jan 6Jan 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F217208202197193188183178172
32°F241231225220216211206199191
28°F263255248243238233227221213
24°F288277272266260256250243234
20°F312302296289283277271262254
16°F337327318311305300293285273

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
3,410
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,768
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,851
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,340
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,968
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,743
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,674

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January811023
February606147
March41010163
April17846335
May48131549
June2327775
July0480945
August0462927
September21246675
October16556369
November4476126
December723136

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 km from Kansas. 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 USC00344672 (Kansas 2 Ne). Public domain.