Bailey climate

Bailey Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bailey, 0.3 km from Bailey, elevation 7752 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bailey. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 8, a growing season of about 84 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 16, first September 8
Median at 28°F
last May 30, first September 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°F–––––––––
32°FJul 1Jun 27Jun 22Jun 20Jun 16Jun 13Jun 11Jun 7Jun 2
28°FJun 15Jun 9Jun 5Jun 2May 30May 26May 23May 19May 14
24°FMay 26May 20May 16May 13May 11May 9May 6May 4Apr 30
20°FMay 13May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17
16°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9Apr 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°FAug 27Sep 1Sep 3Sep 6Sep 8Sep 11Sep 14Sep 16Sep 20
28°FSep 6Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Oct 1
24°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13
20°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 25
16°FOct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2

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°F766965605652474235
32°F1049792878479757064
28°F1291231181141111061029790
24°F158151146143139135132127120
20°F181174169165161158153149141
16°F201194189184180176171166160

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
8,719
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
19
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,673
Growing degree days, base 45°F
1,794
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,085
Growing degree days, base 55°F
535
Growing degree days, base 60°F
170

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29600
February1,12000
March99500
April79503
May558049
June2553212
July10711369
August1635309
September3650132
October727011
November1,03500
December1,30400

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 Bailey. 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 USC00050454 (Bailey). Public domain.