Meade County climate

Meade County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Red Owl, 19.1 km from Meade County, elevation 2773 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Red Owl. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 131 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 3

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°FJun 6Jun 1May 30May 27May 25May 23May 21May 17May 14
32°FMay 27May 24May 21May 18May 16May 13May 11May 8May 4
28°FMay 21May 15May 12May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 28Apr 23
24°FMay 12May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12
20°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
16°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 22

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 1Sep 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28
32°FSep 11Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
28°FSep 18Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
24°FSep 26Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
20°FOct 2Oct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
16°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13

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°F13112612111711411010610193
32°F149144139135131128124120114
28°F167162157153149145141136129
24°F188181176171167163159154146
20°F206198194189185181176172165
16°F227218212207203198193188181

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
7,829
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
517
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,165
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,159
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,297
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,567
Growing degree days, base 60°F
970

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,38100
February1,17001
March1,00108
April668138
May36911176
June10270422
July19211657
August36172602
September20647313
October596475
November97206
December1,30800

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 19.1 km from Meade 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 USC00397073 (Red Owl). Public domain.