Independence climate

Independence Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Independence, 0.6 km from Independence, elevation 3950 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Independence. 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 March 31 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 224 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 31, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 6, first November 21

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°FMay 9May 1Apr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7Apr 1Mar 24
32°FApr 23Apr 16Apr 10Apr 5Mar 31Mar 26Mar 18Mar 12Mar 4
28°FApr 7Mar 29Mar 19Mar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 11
24°FMar 14Mar 4Feb 28Feb 21Feb 14Feb 8Feb 2Jan 23Jan 11
20°FFeb 22Feb 8Feb 1Jan 25Jan 18Jan 12Jan 7Jan 2Dec 24
16°FJan 31Jan 23Jan 14Jan 9Jan 4Dec 31Dec 27Dec 20Dec 13

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

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°F222212206200196190185178168
32°F253242236229224218212206194
28°F289278270263257250242233224
24°F327316307301293286278268256
20°F361352344337331325317307296
16°F365365365365364358350342332

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
94% of years
16°F or colder
55% 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
2,950
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,213
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,487
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,870
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,436
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,194
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,120

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January656017
February497046
March3484170
April18333311
May58181588
June6432876
July06091,074
August05551,020
September6320764
October10376442
November4023119
December691010

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 Independence. 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 USC00044232 (Independence). Public domain.