Gilcrest climate

Gilcrest Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Greeley Unc, 14.9 km from Gilcrest, elevation 4715 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Greeley Unc. 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 September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 18

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 15May 12May 10May 8May 4May 1
32°FMay 14May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
24°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
20°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7
16°FApr 3Mar 28Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23

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 18Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
28°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10
20°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19
16°FOct 27Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28

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°F156150146142139135132127121
32°F178170165162159156151147139
28°F200193187183179175170166158
24°F224217211206202197193188180
20°F246238232227222217213207198
16°F269261255249244238232226217

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
5,580
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
895
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,505
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,278
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,210
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,291
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,521

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06001
February87204
March664037
April4322115
May20235317
June31172591
July2328790
August6262721
September8493464
October4014151
November759019
December1,06601

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 14.9 km from Gilcrest. 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 USC00053553 (Greeley Unc). Public domain.