Luck climate

Luck Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Luck, 0.3 km from Luck, elevation 1220 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Luck. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 149 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 16

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

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 9Sep 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 7
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
28°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31
24°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26

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°F148142137133129124120114107
32°F168162158153149145141135127
28°F192185180175171167163157150
24°F211204201196193189185179172
20°F230223218214210207203197192
16°F247240234230226221216212206

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
8,078
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
501
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,331
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,327
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,436
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,657
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,005

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,60300
February1,31700
March1,06408
April618256
May27426248
June64101488
July15183632
August31135569
September17650337
October545488
November97108
December1,40100

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 0.3 km from Luck. 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 USC00474894 (Luck). Public domain.