Fowler climate

Fowler Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Tacony 13 Se, 23.9 km from Fowler, elevation 4882 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tacony 13 Se. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 6, a growing season of about 153 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 6
Median at 28°F
last April 26, first October 14

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 28May 23May 20May 17May 15May 12May 10May 7May 3
32°FMay 16May 12May 10May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 23
28°FMay 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13
24°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 1
20°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23Mar 17
16°FApr 10Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4

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 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17
28°FOct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
24°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14
16°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24

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°F151145142139135132128124119
32°F168163159156153149146142136
28°F185180176173169166162158152
24°F208202197193189185181176169
20°F231224218214210206201196190
16°F254245240235230226221214205

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
5,464
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
925
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,585
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,352
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,281
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,356
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,572

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04501
February86403
March679031
April4351109
May18138337
June19195626
July2332795
August4259721
September6995479
October3826160
November743020
December1,04301

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 23.9 km from Fowler. 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 USC00058157 (Tacony 13 Se). Public domain.