Waubay climate

Waubay Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Waubay Natl Wild Life, 10.4 km from Waubay, elevation 1827 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Waubay Natl Wild Life. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 21

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 22May 17May 15May 12May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 12May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25
16°FApr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17

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 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16
32°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26
28°FOct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 4
24°FOct 14Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
20°FOct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
16°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30

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°F163157152149146142139135128
32°F183176172167164160156151147
28°F201195190186182178174169164
24°F217210206202198195191187181
20°F234227222218213210206201195
16°F249241236231228224219214206

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
8,204
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
621
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,500
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,500
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,609
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,825
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,160

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,62400
February1,35200
March1,11803
April648044
May26924254
June49115516
July10226680
August15191640
September14564377
October540391
November99305
December1,44100

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 10.4 km from Waubay. 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 USC00398980 (Waubay Natl Wild Life). Public domain.