Lusk climate

Lusk Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lusk 2 Sw, 2.7 km from Lusk, elevation 5090 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lusk 2 Sw. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around September 20, a growing season of about 119 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 6, first September 11
Median at 32°F
last May 23, first September 20
Median at 28°F
last May 10, 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°FJun 23Jun 17Jun 13Jun 9Jun 6Jun 4Jun 1May 28May 23
32°FJun 8Jun 3May 31May 27May 23May 20May 17May 14May 9
28°FMay 26May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 28
24°FMay 11May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
20°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 5
16°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 23

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 25Sep 1Sep 5Sep 8Sep 11Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 23
32°FSep 4Sep 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 4
28°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
24°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 4Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
20°FOct 3Oct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
16°FOct 12Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11

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°F116108103999591868172
32°F13813212812311911510910597
28°F161154149145141138133128121
24°F182176172168164160155149141
20°F202195190186183179175170161
16°F222214209204200196191186180

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
7,816
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
348
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,785
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,801
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,976
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,294
Growing degree days, base 60°F
746

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,27300
February1,11300
March95706
April706025
May4332129
June14742354
July33155587
August41121547
September24227269
October637053
November97005
December1,26400

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 2.7 km from Lusk. 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 USC00485830 (Lusk 2 Sw). Public domain.