Las Animas climate

Las Animas Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Las Animas, 0.8 km from Las Animas, elevation 3890 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Las Animas. 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 April 29 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 166 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 21

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 22May 17May 13May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15
28°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7Apr 3
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
20°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6
16°FApr 1Mar 25Mar 18Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24

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 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14
32°FOct 2Oct 5Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 23
28°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1
24°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
20°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19
16°FOct 29Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 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°F164159155151148145141137130
32°F182177173169166162158154147
28°F203197192189185181178172166
24°F225218213209205202197192185
20°F249240235230225220215209202
16°F269262257252247242237229219

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
5,125
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,318
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,260
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,986
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,861
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,876
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,030

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03401
February82707
March622057
April3617166
May13281423
June11278717
July1427891
August2356818
September58155550
October34313199
November704031
December1,02902

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 0.8 km from Las Animas. 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 USC00054834 (Las Animas). Public domain.