Eagle Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Shoshone. 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 164 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 14, first October 6
- Median at 32°F
- last May 1, first October 14
- Median at 28°F
- last April 21, first October 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 1 | May 25 | May 21 | May 17 | May 14 | May 10 | May 7 | May 4 | May 1 |
| 32°F | May 14 | May 9 | May 6 | May 4 | May 1 | Apr 30 | Apr 28 | Apr 24 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | May 4 | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 24 | Apr 21 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Apr 24 | Apr 19 | Apr 15 | Apr 11 | Apr 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F | Apr 12 | Apr 6 | Apr 2 | Mar 30 | Mar 26 | Mar 22 | Mar 17 | Mar 13 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F | Apr 2 | Mar 27 | Mar 21 | Mar 17 | Mar 13 | Mar 9 | Mar 6 | Mar 2 | Feb 24 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 24°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 161 | 155 | 150 | 146 | 143 | 139 | 136 | 130 | 123 |
| 32°F | 181 | 175 | 171 | 168 | 164 | 160 | 156 | 152 | 146 |
| 28°F | 204 | 198 | 193 | 188 | 184 | 180 | 177 | 172 | 166 |
| 24°F | 227 | 220 | 215 | 210 | 206 | 202 | 198 | 193 | 186 |
| 20°F | 249 | 242 | 236 | 231 | 227 | 222 | 217 | 212 | 205 |
| 16°F | 270 | 265 | 259 | 254 | 249 | 244 | 238 | 231 | 222 |
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
- 6,260
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 721
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 4,983
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 3,840
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,846
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,004
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,304
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,235 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 939 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 752 | 0 | 7 |
| April | 501 | 0 | 52 |
| May | 247 | 13 | 252 |
| June | 55 | 121 | 517 |
| July | 1 | 287 | 751 |
| August | 2 | 225 | 688 |
| September | 82 | 74 | 446 |
| October | 418 | 1 | 127 |
| November | 812 | 0 | 7 |
| December | 1,216 | 0 | 0 |
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 35.3 km from Eagle. 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 USC00057618 (Shoshone). Public domain.