Baca County climate

Baca County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Springfield Comanche, 6.2 km from Baca County, elevation 4383 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Springfield Comanche. 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 May 3 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 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 28May 23May 19May 16May 13May 11May 8May 5May 1
32°FMay 17May 12May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 27
20°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 12
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1

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°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13
32°FSep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21
28°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29
24°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
20°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19
16°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29

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°F158153148144141137133128122
32°F177171166162158155151147140
28°F195189185181178173169164158
24°F218210204200196191187182175
20°F242233228222218213209202193
16°F265257251246240236231224216

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
5,415
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
979
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,663
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,419
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,343
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,415
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,629

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00802
February85206
March689041
April4453113
May19347339
June23209636
July2329792
August6271730
September81112486
October3859169
November720028
December1,01202

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 6.2 km from Baca County. 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 USW00003028 (Springfield Comanche). Public domain.