Elbert County climate

Elbert County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Limon Wsmo, 37.8 km from Elbert County, elevation 5364 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Limon Wsmo. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 127 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 21, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 9, first October 3

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°FJun 14Jun 9Jun 5Jun 3May 31May 29May 26May 23May 19
32°FJun 4May 31May 27May 24May 21May 18May 14May 11May 7
28°FMay 24May 18May 14May 11May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 27
24°FMay 12May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
20°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2
16°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18

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 4Sep 9Sep 12Sep 15Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 24Sep 28
32°FSep 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6
28°FSep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14
24°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22
20°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
16°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10

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°F1251191151111071031009590
32°F144139135131127123119115108
28°F163157153149145142139134128
24°F184177173169165162158153146
20°F203197193189185180177171166
16°F225218214209205200196191185

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
7,024
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
403
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,179
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,128
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,233
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,484
Growing degree days, base 60°F
872

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19400
February1,03000
March86006
April620033
May3495173
June8464432
July10177632
August22131573
September17926312
October568066
November90305
December1,20600

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 37.8 km from Elbert 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 USW00093010 (Limon Wsmo). Public domain.