Oak Creek climate

Oak Creek Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Yampa, 13.8 km from Oak Creek, elevation 7857 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Yampa. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around September 11, a growing season of about 89 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 14, first September 11
Median at 28°F
last May 31, first September 20

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°FJun 28Jun 23Jun 20Jun 17Jun 14Jun 11Jun 8Jun 5Jun 1
28°FJun 13Jun 8Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 28May 24May 21May 16
24°FMay 31May 25May 21May 18May 14May 11May 7May 5Apr 30
20°FMay 18May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 16
16°FMay 11May 4Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9Apr 4

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 29Sep 2Sep 6Sep 9Sep 11Sep 14Sep 16Sep 19Sep 23
28°FSep 8Sep 13Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 27Oct 1
24°FSep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 14
20°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
16°FOct 3Oct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5

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°F837671676359554840
32°F10810196928985817769
28°F13112512011711310910510093
24°F155150145141137133128124116
20°F183175169164160155151146139
16°F204197191187183178172166156

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
9,044
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
40
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,803
Growing degree days, base 45°F
1,930
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,206
Growing degree days, base 55°F
636
Growing degree days, base 60°F
237

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,41400
February1,21800
March1,08400
April80705
May547057
June2544219
July8724402
August12812349
September3380155
October715019
November1,06101
December1,39300

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 13.8 km from Oak Creek. 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 USC00059265 (Yampa). Public domain.