Hugo climate

Hugo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hugo 1 Nw, 1.9 km from Hugo, elevation 5025 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hugo 1 Nw. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 22, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 10

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 4Jun 1May 28May 25May 22May 19May 16May 13May 10
32°FMay 25May 19May 15May 13May 10May 8May 6May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 13May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
24°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 6
20°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 23
16°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15Mar 9

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 11Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 21Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
28°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
24°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
20°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
16°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13Nov 19

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°F141136132128124120116112105
32°F160154150146143139136131123
28°F178172168165162158155150145
24°F197190185182178174171167161
20°F220212206201197193189184177
16°F242234228222217211207200192

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
6,349
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
605
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,759
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,626
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,652
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,828
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,146

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11601
February95901
March797017
April560057
May28015237
June56109503
July7242700
August13185637
September13353381
October4921105
November825013
December1,11101

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 1.9 km from Hugo. 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 USC00054172 (Hugo 1 Nw). Public domain.