Haxtun climate

Haxtun Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fleming 3SW, 19.6 km from Haxtun, elevation 4256 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fleming 3SW. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 157 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 19

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 27May 22May 18May 15May 13May 11May 8May 5May 1
32°FMay 16May 12May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
28°FMay 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12
24°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 30
20°FApr 20Apr 17Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 14
16°FApr 12Apr 5Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2

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 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12
32°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28
24°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 9
20°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 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°F155150147143140136133128122
32°F174168164160157154150147140
28°F192187182179175171167163156
24°F215208202198193189185179173
20°F240231224219214210205199192
16°F265255248242236231225217210

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
6,063
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
906
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,268
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,101
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,091
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,229
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,501

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10401
February93603
March761025
April523180
May25433277
June44164571
July4332793
August10270725
September10499454
October4447143
November788019
December1,09101

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 19.6 km from Haxtun. 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 USC00052947 (Fleming 3SW). Public domain.