Lucerne climate

Lucerne Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Thermopolis 9NE, 3.3 km from Lucerne, elevation 4282 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Thermopolis 9NE. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around September 16, a growing season of about 112 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 9, first September 7
Median at 32°F
last May 24, first September 16
Median at 28°F
last May 11, first September 24

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 28Jun 21Jun 17Jun 13Jun 9Jun 6Jun 3Jun 1May 26
32°FJun 9Jun 3May 31May 28May 24May 22May 19May 16May 12
28°FMay 24May 19May 16May 14May 11May 8May 6May 4Apr 30
24°FMay 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 15
20°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6Apr 1
16°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25Mar 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°FAug 27Aug 31Sep 2Sep 5Sep 7Sep 9Sep 12Sep 14Sep 18
32°FSep 4Sep 8Sep 11Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 29
28°FSep 13Sep 16Sep 20Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 4Oct 8
24°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
20°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
16°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 8

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°F10710196928984807467
32°F1301241191161121081049994
28°F153147143139135131128123116
24°F177170165160157153150145139
20°F203194188183178173168164156
16°F225215209205200195190184176

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
8,450
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
310
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,655
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,696
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,890
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,225
Growing degree days, base 60°F
693

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,53600
February1,18000
March95402
April669020
May4042133
June14137352
July19151596
August43108530
September27111224
October679032
November1,04701
December1,50800

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 3.3 km from Lucerne. 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 USC00488884 (Thermopolis 9NE). Public domain.