Mead climate

Mead Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Longmont 2 Ese, 9.7 km from Mead, elevation 4950 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Longmont 2 Ese. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 7, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 28, first October 12

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

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°F151144139136132128124119111
32°F169162157155151147143138131
28°F189182177173169165162156151
24°F212204197193189185181175167
20°F236227220215211206200194187
16°F258249243238232226221215204

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
6,111
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
657
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,936
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,773
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,765
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,915
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,215

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10200
February92501
March730024
April518178
May26519251
June58124518
July7257716
August11189643
September12466403
October4801110
November795020
December1,09601

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 9.7 km from Mead. 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 USC00055116 (Longmont 2 Ese). Public domain.