Haakon County climate

Haakon County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Milesville 5 Ne, 25.6 km from Haakon County, elevation 2237 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Milesville 5 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 May 8 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 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°FMay 31May 27May 24May 21May 19May 17May 14May 11May 7
32°FMay 22May 18May 14May 11May 8May 6May 4May 1Apr 27
28°FMay 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18Apr 13
24°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 2
20°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 22
16°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 12

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 10Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 6
32°FSep 17Sep 23Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
28°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
24°FOct 3Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 3
20°FOct 13Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
16°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22

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°F146140136132128125120116110
32°F165159154150147143139135128
28°F185178173169166161157153147
24°F204197193188183180175170163
20°F225217212207203198193188181
16°F243235228223218213209202194

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
7,182
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
826
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,911
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,832
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,890
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,076
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,386

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,37500
February1,13901
March927015
April560271
May27025252
June53129527
July7306764
August14265716
September12692425
October5096109
November912010
December1,28900

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 25.6 km from Haakon County. 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 USC00395544 (Milesville 5 Ne). Public domain.