Cody climate

Cody Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cody, 5.1 km from Cody, elevation 5280 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cody. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 140 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 10

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 11Jun 5Jun 1May 28May 25May 22May 19May 15May 11
32°FMay 27May 22May 18May 15May 12May 8May 5May 1Apr 27
28°FMay 16May 10May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18Apr 12
24°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Mar 31
20°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24Mar 16
16°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 10Mar 3

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 6Sep 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 4
32°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 14
28°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21Oct 27
24°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 9Oct 16Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
16°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 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°F13813012512111711410910497
32°F160153149144140136132128120
28°F184176170166162158153148140
24°F208200193188184178174169161
20°F231221215210205199193186178
16°F251242235229224218213206195

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
7,049
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
464
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,205
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,138
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,240
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,501
Growing degree days, base 60°F
907

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16300
February1,01901
March845012
April626042
May3758165
June13254378
July24199640
August38159587
September19942316
October562386
November896013
December1,17000

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 5.1 km from Cody. 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 USC00481840 (Cody). Public domain.