Las Animas County climate

Las Animas County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Trinidad Perry Stokes AP, 27.1 km from Las Animas County, elevation 5741 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Trinidad Perry Stokes AP. 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 9, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 23, 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 31May 26May 22May 18May 15May 12May 10May 6May 2
32°FMay 19May 12May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 20
28°FMay 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 7
24°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 28
20°FApr 20Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 11
16°FApr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28

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 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
28°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31
24°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
16°FOct 27Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29

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°F154149145141137133129124117
32°F173168164160156153149145138
28°F195188183179176172168162155
24°F216209203199195191186182174
20°F242232227223218213208201193
16°F263256250243237232227221212

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
5,272
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
877
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,625
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,349
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,246
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,305
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,517

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January97802
February80807
March656040
April4432115
May19735321
June27180603
July2305769
August5246705
September79103478
October3736173
November707031
December99802

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 27.1 km from Las Animas County. 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 USW00023070 (Trinidad Perry Stokes AP). Public domain.