New Cuyama climate

New Cuyama Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New Cuyama Fire Stn, 0.3 km from New Cuyama, elevation 2160 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New Cuyama Fire Stn. 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 April 15 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 201 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 22
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 17, first November 19

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 29May 19May 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 16
32°FMay 3Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6Mar 31Mar 22
28°FApr 15Apr 7Mar 31Mar 24Mar 17Mar 9Mar 2Feb 24Feb 13
24°FMar 10Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 19Jan 5Dec 26
20°FFeb 10Jan 31Jan 21Jan 9Jan 3Dec 30Dec 23Dec 16Dec 7
16°FJan 21Jan 11Jan 6Jan 3Jan 2Jan 1Dec 31Dec 23Dec 10

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 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2Nov 6
32°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 22
28°FOct 29Nov 4Nov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7
24°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 15Dec 23Jan 3
20°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 28Jan 1Jan 8Jan 26
16°FDec 9Dec 22Dec 28Dec 31Jan 1Jan 2Jan 4Jan 10Jan 20

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°F192184177172167162156150140
32°F229218211206201196189183175
28°F282269258250242234227218209
24°F346334323314305295285276262
20°F365365365365358349340333320
16°F365365365365365365365365363

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
97% of years
20°F or colder
59% of years
16°F or colder
11% 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
3,082
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,081
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,158
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,466
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,977
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,772
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,826

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January553034
February475042
March427093
April3017183
May13656386
June29174596
July1331795
August2296760
September23179606
October16437342
November3961112
December577028

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 0.3 km from New Cuyama. 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 USC00046154 (New Cuyama Fire Stn). Public domain.