Sheridan climate

Sheridan Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dallas 2 Ne, 18.8 km from Sheridan, elevation 290 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dallas 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 April 16 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 7, first November 20

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 23May 17May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 19
32°FMay 5Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 10Apr 4Mar 30Mar 21
28°FApr 8Mar 29Mar 22Mar 15Mar 7Feb 27Feb 21Feb 15Feb 2
24°FFeb 27Feb 19Feb 11Feb 4Jan 29Jan 16Jan 6Dec 30Dec 14
20°FFeb 10Jan 31Jan 18Jan 8Jan 1Dec 25Dec 18Dec 10Dec 2
16°FFeb 5Jan 23Jan 10Jan 1Dec 24Dec 20Dec 16Dec 12Dec 4

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°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 13Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 22
28°FOct 31Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 15
24°FNov 14Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 23Dec 31Jan 14
20°FNov 25Dec 2Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22Dec 29Jan 3Jan 13Feb 1
16°FDec 2Dec 10Dec 14Dec 17Dec 22Dec 30Jan 2Jan 19Feb 4

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°F184175170164159155150145136
32°F231219211205199194187180173
28°F297284273265258250243233220
24°F359346336327319312303291276
20°F365365365365357348341332319
16°F365365365365365365365363345

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
93% of years
20°F or colder
52% of years
16°F or colder
18% 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
4,633
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
294
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,973
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,501
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,317
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,406
Growing degree days, base 60°F
736

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January74704
February61306
March567025
April437172
May2669216
June14626330
July30101536
August27108546
September9647401
October3393156
November593022
December77003

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 18.8 km from Sheridan. 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 USC00352112 (Dallas 2 Ne). Public domain.