Baker climate

Baker Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Baker, 1.6 km from Baker, elevation 962 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Baker. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around November 27, a growing season of about 287 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 1, first November 17
Median at 32°F
last February 14, first November 27
Median at 28°F
last January 30, first December 8

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°FMar 28Mar 16Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 27Feb 22Feb 18Feb 11
32°FMar 4Feb 27Feb 22Feb 18Feb 14Feb 10Feb 5Jan 31Jan 25
28°FFeb 20Feb 11Feb 6Feb 2Jan 30Jan 25Jan 18Jan 10Dec 31
24°FFeb 5Jan 30Jan 23Jan 15Jan 9Jan 4Dec 31Dec 26Dec 19
20°FJan 29Jan 23Jan 13Jan 6Jan 3Dec 31Dec 28Dec 22Dec 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°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29
32°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9
28°FNov 24Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 8Dec 11Dec 14Dec 19Dec 26
24°FDec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 18Dec 22Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 12
20°FDec 11Dec 18Dec 22Dec 26Dec 31Jan 2Jan 4Jan 8Jan 20
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°F281273267263258253248241231
32°F310302296291287281276270262
28°F345337330325318311305298289
24°F365365359354349342336330318
20°F365365365365365365364357346
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
98% of years
24°F or colder
77% of years
20°F or colder
35% 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
1,823
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,789
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,099
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,329
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,680
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,205
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,910

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January501052
February3001140
March14737357
April45144549
May5396856
June06801,130
July08931,358
August08401,305
September15841,033
October31203637
November25212228
December541036

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 1.6 km from Baker. 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 USC00040436 (Baker). Public domain.