Firebaugh climate

Firebaugh Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Madera Muni AP, 33.9 km from Firebaugh, elevation 253 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Madera Muni 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 February 12 and the first fall freeze around November 30, a growing season of about 293 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 23, first November 15
Median at 32°F
last February 12, first November 30
Median at 28°F
last January 7, first December 15

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°FApr 17Apr 9Apr 6Mar 31Mar 23Mar 17Mar 9Mar 4Feb 24
32°FMar 17Mar 5Feb 27Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Jan 29Jan 19Jan 6
28°FFeb 12Jan 31Jan 25Jan 16Jan 7Jan 2Dec 31Dec 24Dec 11
24°FJan 20Jan 13Jan 7Jan 1Dec 31Dec 28Dec 24Dec 20Dec 11
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 30Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
32°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 7Dec 15Jan 3
28°FNov 24Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9Dec 15Dec 22Dec 30Jan 4Jan 19
24°FDec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 19Dec 23Dec 26Dec 31Jan 4Jan 11
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°F269259250243235228222214206
32°F329319311301293284276268256
28°F365365356347341336331324310
24°F365365365365365365364351341
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
99% of years
28°F or colder
72% of years
24°F or colder
24% of years
20°F or colder
4% 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
2,356
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,749
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,529
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,771
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,171
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,803
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,672

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January535035
February372084
March2793199
April15930323
May39135561
June4305752
July0470935
August0434899
September4296742
October7674464
November3292148
December559030

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 33.9 km from Firebaugh. 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 USW00093242 (Madera Muni AP). Public domain.