Guadalupe climate

Guadalupe Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Tempe Asu, 7.2 km from Guadalupe, elevation 1167 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tempe Asu. 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 February 13 and the first fall freeze around December 5, a growing season of about 298 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 8, first November 26
Median at 32°F
last February 13, first December 5
Median at 28°F
last January 16, first December 19

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 7Mar 28Mar 20Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21Feb 14
32°FMar 9Mar 1Feb 24Feb 18Feb 13Feb 6Feb 1Jan 23Jan 12
28°FFeb 19Feb 7Feb 1Jan 24Jan 16Jan 10Jan 4Dec 30Dec 19
24°FJan 28Jan 17Jan 11Jan 6Jan 3Dec 31Dec 26Dec 19Dec 6
20°F–––––––––
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°FNov 7Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9
32°FNov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 12Dec 16Dec 24
28°FNov 27Dec 4Dec 10Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24Dec 30Jan 4Jan 19
24°FDec 4Dec 13Dec 20Dec 26Dec 31Jan 2Jan 5Jan 11Jan 24
20°F–––––––––
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°F287279272264259253246238226
32°F331320312305298291284277266
28°F365359351345337330324314299
24°F365365365365365365364354341
20°F365365365365365365365365365
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
87% of years
24°F or colder
32% of years
20°F or colder
3% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
1,183
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,681
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,624
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,808
Growing degree days, base 50°F
8,036
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,383
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,926

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January3251162
February2205214
March10548408
April28145567
May3376839
June06111,061
July08011,266
August07731,238
September05961,045
October10279733
November13547365
December3571138

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 7.2 km from Guadalupe. 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 USC00028499 (Tempe Asu). Public domain.