Craig climate

Craig Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Craig, 0.5 km from Craig, elevation 43 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Craig. 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 April 14 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 201 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 23

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°FMay 19May 13May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30
28°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3
24°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 11Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21Feb 7Jan 21
20°FMar 13Mar 7Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14Feb 5Jan 27Jan 15Dec 31
16°FMar 8Feb 28Feb 17Feb 6Jan 29Jan 23Jan 14Jan 5Dec 26

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°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
32°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 15Nov 21
28°FOct 30Nov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 16
24°FNov 17Nov 23Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14Dec 23Jan 1Jan 15
20°FNov 25Dec 2Dec 9Dec 18Dec 27Jan 1Jan 13Jan 25Feb 13
16°FDec 7Dec 23Jan 1Jan 6Jan 14Jan 22Jan 28Feb 10Feb 28

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°F183177172168164160155151143
32°F226218211205201195189184176
28°F275264256250244239232225215
24°F327308299292283277269261250
20°F365352338330319308299288276
16°F365365365365358346335323304

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
86% of years
16°F or colder
57% 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
7,301
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,448
Growing degree days, base 45°F
1,375
Growing degree days, base 50°F
617
Growing degree days, base 55°F
161
Growing degree days, base 60°F
18

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January89401
February81100
March86000
April68303
May529028
June377188
July2840183
August2531212
September372091
October597011
November76100
December88200

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 0.5 km from Craig. 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 USC00502227 (Craig). Public domain.