Crowley County climate

Crowley County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ordway 1 Ene, 12.6 km from Crowley County, elevation 4312 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ordway 1 Ene. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 159 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 16

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 14May 12May 9May 6May 4May 1
32°FMay 14May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
24°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 27
20°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
16°FApr 10Apr 3Mar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19
28°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23

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°F157152149145142138135131125
32°F174169165162159156151147141
28°F194186181178174171168164157
24°F216209202198194189184179172
20°F238229224219215210204198190
16°F259252247241235230224218209

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
5,774
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,102
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,683
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,492
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,440
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,529
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,753

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13000
February91102
March701030
April4432115
May17351359
June19229660
July1387851
August5317776
September83113485
October4095147
November785016
December1,11400

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 12.6 km from Crowley 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 USC00056131 (Ordway 1 Ene). Public domain.