Lincoln County climate

Lincoln County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Harrington, 16.3 km from Lincoln County, elevation 2159 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Harrington. 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 31 and the first fall freeze around September 12, a growing season of about 101 days.

Median at 32°F
last May 31, first September 12
Median at 28°F
last May 9, first October 1

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 28Jun 18Jun 10Jun 4May 31May 26May 21May 16May 10
28°FMay 31May 21May 17May 12May 9May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 24
24°FMay 12May 6May 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 12Mar 31
20°FApr 29Apr 21Apr 15Apr 7Mar 29Mar 21Mar 12Mar 5Feb 25
16°FMar 26Mar 12Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 10Feb 1

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°F–––––––––
32°FAug 23Aug 30Sep 4Sep 8Sep 12Sep 17Sep 22Sep 27Oct 2
28°FSep 10Sep 16Sep 22Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 10Oct 16
24°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 31
20°FOct 6Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 8Nov 17
16°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 30Nov 3Nov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24Dec 2

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°F918174696256514537
32°F13212311510810194877768
28°F166157151146142137129122112
24°F200191184176171166159155147
20°F251238228218212204195187174
16°F291281273265258252244236221

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
6,768
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
290
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,874
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,788
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,895
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,179
Growing degree days, base 60°F
646

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11900
February90600
March77004
April561035
May3405166
June18427296
July53118530
August56114523
September20526284
October557156
November87203
December1,14500

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 16.3 km from Lincoln 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 USC00453515 (Harrington). Public domain.