Kings Beach climate

Kings Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Tahoe City, 12.7 km from Kings Beach, elevation 6230 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tahoe City. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around September 25, a growing season of about 108 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 9, first September 25
Median at 28°F
last May 24, first October 12

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 25Jun 19Jun 15Jun 12Jun 9Jun 6Jun 3May 31May 26
28°FJun 10Jun 4May 31May 28May 24May 19May 13May 7May 2
24°FMay 22May 13May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
20°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 29
16°FApr 20Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 27Mar 19Mar 14Mar 5

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

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°F968883777368625547
32°F130123118112108103999385
28°F168158153148143138132125117
24°F204197190185181176170164156
20°F234226220214210205199194187
16°F268258251245239234227221210

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
7,697
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
33
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,810
Growing degree days, base 45°F
1,893
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,167
Growing degree days, base 55°F
593
Growing degree days, base 60°F
201

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08200
February95800
March95000
April78502
May572045
June3122173
July11219373
August12311354
September2871187
October592032
November84600
December1,07900

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 12.7 km from Kings Beach. 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 USC00048758 (Tahoe City). Public domain.