Minco climate

Minco Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Minco 2SSW Mesonet, 4.7 km from Minco, elevation 1410 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Minco 2SSW Mesonet. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 216 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 14, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 14

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 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29
32°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17
28°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 2
24°FMar 28Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 19
20°FMar 14Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 27Feb 23Feb 18Feb 11Jan 31
16°FMar 7Mar 1Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 26Jan 14

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 12Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
32°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20
28°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
24°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
20°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 13Dec 18Dec 24
16°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 24Dec 30Jan 5Jan 15

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°F217210206201197192188183176
32°F238230225219216212208203194
28°F261253247242237233227221213
24°F283275269264259255249242232
20°F312301294287282276270263253
16°F345334324317309302295287277

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
98% 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
3,597
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,909
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,849
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,361
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,023
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,834
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,796

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January821015
February636146
March4479139
April20535304
May51159574
June1357807
July0519984
August0502967
September17256689
October17167378
November4734103
December775019

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 4.7 km from Minco. 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 USC00345870 (Minco 2SSW Mesonet). Public domain.