Cheyenne Wells climate

Cheyenne Wells Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cheyenne Wells 2NE, 4.4 km from Cheyenne Wells, elevation 4203 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cheyenne Wells 2NE. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 165 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 11, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 22

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 26May 20May 17May 13May 11May 7May 5May 1Apr 28
32°FMay 17May 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
24°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 21
20°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15Mar 8
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26

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 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25
28°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
24°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
20°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24
16°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 6

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°F164158153149146142139134127
32°F183176172168165161157152144
28°F202196191187183180176170163
24°F226219212207202199194189181
20°F251243237230225221214207199
16°F274265259253247242237230219

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
5,461
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
996
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,692
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,450
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,367
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,435
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,645

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02902
February86906
March684044
April4512112
May20242326
June26190615
July3339801
August6285744
September74127507
October38110176
November717033
December1,02002

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 4.4 km from Cheyenne Wells. 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 USC00051564 (Cheyenne Wells 2NE). Public domain.