Encinitas Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Carlsbad Palomar AP. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.
A freeze (32°F or colder) happens in only 1 percent of years at Carlsbad Palomar AP, so there is no typical freeze season.
- Median at 36°F
- last January 5, first January 2
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 6 | Jan 27 | Jan 17 | Jan 10 | Jan 5 | Jan 1 | Dec 27 | Dec 19 | Dec 13 |
| 32°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 28°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 24°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 25 | Feb 5 |
| 32°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 28°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 24°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 354 |
| 32°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 28°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 24°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
How often it gets that cold
The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.
- 36°F or colder
- 20% of years
- 32°F or colder
- 1% of years
- 28°F or colder
- 0% of years
- 24°F or colder
- 0% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 0% 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
- 1,510
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 607
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 8,223
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 6,398
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 4,583
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,886
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,526
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 271 | 4 | 203 |
| February | 249 | 4 | 178 |
| March | 234 | 6 | 238 |
| April | 165 | 9 | 294 |
| May | 89 | 12 | 388 |
| June | 29 | 32 | 453 |
| July | 2 | 130 | 594 |
| August | 0 | 172 | 637 |
| September | 3 | 142 | 590 |
| October | 38 | 72 | 499 |
| November | 148 | 22 | 324 |
| December | 282 | 2 | 187 |
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 10.2 km from Encinitas. 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 USW00003177 (Carlsbad Palomar AP). Public domain.