Shawnee climate

Shawnee Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Shawnee 3NNW Mesonet, 4.7 km from Shawnee, elevation 1076 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Shawnee 3NNW 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 March 30 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 221 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 12, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last March 30, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 15, 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 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31Mar 25
32°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 10
28°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26
24°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14
20°FMar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 18Feb 12Feb 5Jan 29
16°FMar 3Feb 25Feb 19Feb 13Feb 8Feb 2Jan 27Jan 17Jan 3

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 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
32°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
28°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 3
24°FNov 4Nov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14
20°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25Jan 2
16°FNov 30Dec 6Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25Dec 30Jan 4Jan 13Jan 25

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°F220211206202198194189184176
32°F245236230225221216211205198
28°F268260253248242238232226217
24°F292282276270265259253247239
20°F322312303297291286280273264
16°F355342333327320314307297287

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
93% 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
3,436
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,981
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,032
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,517
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,151
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,945
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,885

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January789020
February612252
March41714160
April19442319
May54159572
June1380829
July0532996
August0504968
September18270702
October16474390
November4465118
December742025

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 Shawnee. 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 USC00348124 (Shawnee 3NNW Mesonet). Public domain.