Burney climate

Burney Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Burney, 0.6 km from Burney, elevation 3198 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Burney. 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 June 3 and the first fall freeze around September 14, a growing season of about 102 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 3, first September 14
Median at 28°F
last May 13, first October 1

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 19Jun 14Jun 10Jun 7Jun 3Jun 1May 28May 21May 15
28°FJun 3May 28May 22May 17May 13May 8May 4Apr 29Apr 24
24°FMay 13May 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 1
20°FApr 19Apr 11Apr 6Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 3
16°FMar 26Mar 18Mar 10Mar 3Feb 27Feb 23Feb 17Feb 9Jan 30

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

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°F918479747066605445
32°F12811811210610298938881
28°F167158152146141135130123113
24°F206198192185181175170163154
20°F252240232226220214208202191
16°F302286277269262256249241231

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
6,083
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
271
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,060
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,935
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,014
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,271
Growing degree days, base 60°F
675

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January97500
February79900
March74405
April567039
May3309184
June14535346
July26136575
August4377499
September17614297
October493067
November78902
December99700

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 0.6 km from Burney. 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 USC00041214 (Burney). Public domain.