Globe climate

Globe Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Globe #3, 0.7 km from Globe, elevation 3660 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Globe #3. 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 March 11 and the first fall freeze around November 21, a growing season of about 253 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 30, first November 12
Median at 32°F
last March 11, first November 21
Median at 28°F
last February 21, first December 3

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°FApr 18Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
32°FMar 29Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 19
28°FMar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 9Feb 2Jan 23
24°FFeb 24Feb 16Feb 7Feb 1Jan 24Jan 18Jan 11Jan 6Dec 28
20°FFeb 4Jan 23Jan 15Jan 9Jan 5Jan 1Dec 30Dec 23Dec 15
16°F–––––––––

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 25Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25
32°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
28°FNov 17Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 9Dec 13Dec 19
24°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 16Dec 20Dec 25Dec 30Jan 9
20°FDec 10Dec 15Dec 21Dec 26Dec 29Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 21
16°F–––––––––

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°F246240234229225221216210204
32°F278270264257253248242236228
28°F317305298291285279274268260
24°F354344338331325318312303292
20°F365365365365363356349341329
16°F365365365365365365365365361

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
54% of years
16°F or colder
10% 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
2,712
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,248
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,731
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,073
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,597
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,312
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,198

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January64808
February480051
March3342167
April13638357
May35189619
June1465915
July05801,045
August0530995
September2349798
October7692484
November3603144
December641016

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 0.7 km from Globe. 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 USC00023501 (Globe #3). Public domain.