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Last Spring Freeze Climatology
Author: Natalie Umphlett - High Plains Regional Climate Center
Published: 2012-03-27 21:52:03
Updated: 2012-06-01 19:11:20
The High Plains Region has been unseasonably warm this March, with average temperature departures up to 15 F above normal. In addition, over 1,500 daily records have been set over the past two weeks in the High Plains Region alone! The warm weather we have been experiencing has caused the flowers and trees to come out quite early. All the warm weather has many people in the southern areas of the Region thinking, "Will we have another freeze?"
The High Plains Regional Climate Center has compiled a table that shows the earliest, average, and latest date of the last spring freeze for many locations across the Region. If the average last spring freeze date is any indicator, the answer to, "Will we have another freeze?" is, "YES!" Fortunately, a brief amount of time at or below freezing will not necessarily be detrimental to the tender vegetation that has come out.
Many people may remember the Easter Freeze of April 2007. That spring started off very warm but, a prolonged cold snap in April caused freeze damage to numerous crops, including wheat, alfalfa, and fruit trees. Disaster declarations extended from Colorado to the southeast US and the total loss due to the freeze was estimated at over 2 billion dollars. To learn more about the Easter freeze of 2007, click here.
| Location | Earliest Last Spring Freeze (32F) | Average Last Spring Freeze (32F) | Latest Spring Freeze (32F) | Last Freeze so far (32F) | Period of Record |
| Alamosa, CO | May 6 | June 8 | July 2 | March 29 | 1932-2012 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | April 6 | May 8 | June 18 | March 22 | 1894-2012 |
| Denver, CO | April 5 | May 5 | June 8 | March 27 | 1872-2012 |
| Grand Junction, CO | March 21 | April 21 | May 15 | March 27 | 1893-2012 |
| Pueblo, CO | March 31 | April 30 | June 2 | March 24 | 1888-2012 |
| Concordia, KS | March 21 | April 19 | May 29 | March 10 | 1885-2012 |
| Dodge City, KS | March 28 | April 21 | May 27 | March 10 | 1874-2012 |
| Goodland, KS | April 9 | May 5 | June 2 | March 23 | 1895-2012 |
| Salina, KS | March 21 | April 16 | May 14 | March 10 | 1948-2012 |
| Topeka, KS | March 10 | April 15 | May 19 | March 9 | 1887-2012 |
| Wichita, KS | March 10 | April 9 | May 13 | March 10 | 1888-2012 |
| Grand Island, NE | April 5 | April 28 | May 29 | March 9 | 1895-2012 |
| Lincoln, NE | March 27 | April 22 | May 29 | March 13 | 1887-2012 |
| Norfolk, NE | April 6 | May 2 | May 29 | March 9 | 1893-2012 |
| North Platte, NE | April 3 | May 6 | June 6 | March 28 | 1874-2012 |
| Omaha, NE | March 21 | April 18 | May 13 | March 9 | 1871-2012 |
| Scottsbluff, NE | April 5 | May 11 | June 14 | March 22 | 1893-2012 |
| Valentine, NE | April 9 | May 11 | June 21 | March 28 | 1889-2012 |
| Bismarck, ND | April 20 | May 14 | July 6 | March 28 | 1874-2012 |
| Fargo, ND | April 17 | May 13 | June 20 | March 25 | 1881-2012 |
| Grand Forks, ND | April 16 | May 18 | July 3 | March 26 | 1893-2012 |
| Williston, ND | April 16 | May 17 | June 24 | March 29 | 1894-2012 |
| Aberdeen, SD | April 17 | May 12 | June 21 | March 28 | 1893-2012 |
| Huron, SD | April 14 | May 9 | June 21 | March 28 | 1881-2012 |
| Rapid City, SD | April 5 | May 10 | June 14 | March 28 | 1942-2012 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | April 6 | May 6 | June 7 | March 15 | 1893-2012 |
| Casper, WY | April 25 | May 21 | July 4 | March 25 | 1939-2012 |
| Cheyenne, WY | April 21 | May 18 | June 19 | March 28 | 1872-2012 |
| Lander, WY | April 21 | May 22 | July 3 | March 28 | 1891-2012 |
| Sheridan, WY | April 23 | May 19 | June 24 | March 28 | 1907-2012 |