Big Pine climate

Big Pine Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bishop AP, 23.7 km from Big Pine, elevation 4102 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bishop 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 April 29 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 166 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 25

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 6May 31May 28May 23May 17May 13May 8May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 27May 15May 7May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 12
28°FMay 10Apr 29Apr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 28
24°FApr 18Apr 11Apr 6Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 6
20°FApr 2Mar 22Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 8
16°FMar 6Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15Feb 10Feb 5Jan 29Jan 20Jan 8

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 19Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17
32°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
24°FOct 20Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
16°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 12Dec 21

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°F160153148143138133128121113
32°F187181176171166160154148138
28°F215207202196191187181175164
24°F246238230224219214209203194
20°F279271264258252247241233223
16°F327315307299291285278271259

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
4,001
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,212
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,594
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,134
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,886
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,821
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,939

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January77802
February620011
March490071
April2984183
May11467422
June16239674
July0409874
August1342806
September30138558
October24512250
November582034
December82702

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 23.7 km from Big Pine. 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 USW00023157 (Bishop AP). Public domain.