Show Low climate

Show Low Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Show Low AP, 2.3 km from Show Low, elevation 6411 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Show Low AP. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 24

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 2May 28May 24May 21May 17May 14May 11May 7May 2
32°FMay 20May 14May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21
28°FMay 7May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23Mar 15
20°FApr 11Apr 5Mar 30Mar 23Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 23
16°FMar 28Mar 14Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 8Jan 31

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°FSep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20
32°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
28°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 8
24°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
20°FOct 28Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29
16°FNov 7Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12

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°F160154149145141137134129122
32°F181174169165162157153149141
28°F204198192188184179175169163
24°F236228221215210205200194187
20°F271261253246240234228222210
16°F302290282275270264257250236

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
4,926
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
613
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,405
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,077
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,949
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,004
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,226

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January93601
February73102
March631022
April425095
May20419293
June26140564
July1226690
August5168628
September5660455
October3311173
November639025
December94201

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 2.3 km from Show Low. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00027855 (Show Low AP). Public domain.