Craig climate

Craig Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Craig Moffat CO AP, 3 km from Craig, elevation 6186 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Craig Moffat CO AP. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around September 12, a growing season of about 96 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 6, first September 12
Median at 28°F
last May 20, first September 23

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 24Jun 17Jun 12Jun 9Jun 6Jun 3May 31May 26May 21
28°FJun 6Jun 1May 28May 24May 20May 17May 13May 9May 4
24°FMay 19May 14May 10May 6May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 19
20°FMay 7May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7Apr 2
16°FApr 25Apr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 15

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 31Sep 3Sep 7Sep 10Sep 12Sep 15Sep 17Sep 20Sep 25
28°FSep 10Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6
24°FSep 21Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
20°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
16°FOct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8

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°F888176716661564940
32°F1171101051009692878275
28°F145139134129125121116110104
24°F171164160156152148144139132
20°F198191184180175170165159152
16°F225217211205201196190184177

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
8,234
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
217
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,584
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,606
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,784
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,114
Growing degree days, base 60°F
586

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49400
February1,20000
March96101
April663011
May4101114
June14320331
July15116566
August3674504
September2456230
October640027
November99501
December1,43400

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 3 km from Craig. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00024046 (Craig Moffat CO AP). Public domain.