Minturn climate

Minturn Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Vail, 8.9 km from Minturn, elevation 8305 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Vail. 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 June 21 and the first fall freeze around September 7, a growing season of about 77 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 21, first September 7
Median at 28°F
last May 31, first September 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°F–––––––––
32°FJul 9Jul 2Jun 28Jun 24Jun 21Jun 18Jun 15Jun 12Jun 8
28°FJun 18Jun 11Jun 7Jun 3May 31May 29May 25May 21May 16
24°FMay 25May 20May 17May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 27
20°FMay 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13
16°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31

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°F–––––––––
32°FAug 26Sep 1Sep 3Sep 5Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 20
28°FSep 7Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2
24°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15
20°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 28
16°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7

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°F625550454036312823
32°F958984807772676153
28°F1321251191151091051009486
24°F162157152147143139135130123
20°F188181176172168165160154147
16°F210204200195191187182177168

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
9,881
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,189
Growing degree days, base 45°F
1,388
Growing degree days, base 50°F
744
Growing degree days, base 55°F
288
Growing degree days, base 60°F
56

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,47100
February1,22900
March1,11000
April85201
May598026
June3450130
July1832285
August2371232
September441068
October78603
November1,15800
December1,47100

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 8.9 km from Minturn. 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 USC00058575 (Vail). Public domain.