Jackson County climate

Jackson County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Interior 3 Ne, 25.9 km from Jackson County, elevation 2440 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Interior 3 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 15

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 30May 25May 22May 18May 15May 13May 10May 7May 3
32°FMay 20May 13May 10May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 22
28°FMay 7May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31
20°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24Mar 17
16°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 6

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 14Sep 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 10
32°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20
28°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23

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°F151146141136132128124119113
32°F171165160156152148144140132
28°F192185181176173169165160153
24°F213205200195191187183179172
20°F234226220215211206201196189
16°F251243237232227222217211204

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
6,331
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,057
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,486
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,329
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,313
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,434
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,680

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22001
February1,02205
March802033
April5014103
May23142304
June41167577
July3367829
August10331786
September97131491
October43014163
November822021
December1,15301

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 25.9 km from Jackson County. 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 USC00394184 (Interior 3 Ne). Public domain.