Loma climate

Loma Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Colorado Nm, 12.5 km from Loma, elevation 5781 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Colorado Nm. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 172 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 29

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 25May 19May 15May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 23
32°FMay 15May 8May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15Apr 9
28°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31Mar 20
24°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 7Apr 2Mar 29Mar 20Mar 13Mar 8Mar 2
20°FApr 4Mar 25Mar 14Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 13
16°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 27Feb 23Feb 19Feb 15Feb 10Feb 5Jan 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 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Nov 3
28°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 15
24°FOct 22Oct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26
20°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 8
16°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17

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°F171163158154150145140135126
32°F196188182177172167161155147
28°F224215208201197191186180171
24°F259249241234227221215208200
20°F286276270264258250243235225
16°F312302295287282276270263253

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
5,442
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,208
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,857
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,646
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,581
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,658
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,870

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09400
February84301
March634036
April4224121
May18061362
June25252677
July1426889
August3333795
September70127511
October3667168
November729022
December1,07400

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 12.5 km from Loma. 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 USC00051772 (Colorado Nm). Public domain.