Auberry climate

Auberry Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Auberry 2 Nw, 2.7 km from Auberry, elevation 2090 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Auberry 2 Nw. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around December 3, a growing season of about 253 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first November 17
Median at 32°F
last March 25, first December 3
Median at 28°F
last January 29, first December 17

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 12May 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 2Mar 23
32°FApr 22Apr 13Apr 7Apr 1Mar 25Mar 15Mar 4Feb 20Feb 5
28°FApr 1Mar 12Feb 23Feb 7Jan 29Jan 19Jan 10Jan 1Dec 21
24°FJan 30Jan 13Jan 7Jan 1Dec 30Dec 26Dec 22Dec 17Dec 10
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°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 4
32°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 6Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21
28°FNov 28Dec 3Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22Dec 29Jan 7Jan 26
24°FDec 6Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22Dec 26Dec 29Jan 1Jan 9Jan 20
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°F245233224218212206199192182
32°F305283272263253244236227214
28°F364350341333323310297280263
24°F365365365365365365363354342
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
90% of years
24°F or colder
30% 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
2,986
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,792
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,973
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,300
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,836
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,619
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,619

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January595024
February469046
March4052120
April27019223
May106108469
June18285717
July0507972
August0472936
September13311748
October11785435
November3794126
December614019

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 2.7 km from Auberry. 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 USC00040379 (Auberry 2 Nw). Public domain.