Otero County climate

Otero County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for La Junta 17 Wsw, 10.3 km from Otero County, elevation 4386 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for La Junta 17 Wsw. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 148 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 20, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 11

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 4May 30May 26May 23May 20May 17May 13May 9May 4
32°FMay 25May 19May 15May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 13May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
24°FMay 4Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 5Mar 31
20°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 21
16°FApr 11Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8

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 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
32°FSep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15
28°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22
24°FOct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
20°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
16°FOct 20Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20

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°F148142137133129125121117111
32°F165159155151148145140135127
28°F182177173169166161158153147
24°F204197192188185181177171164
20°F225218213209204199195190182
16°F247239235230226221217211204

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
5,698
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,042
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,620
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,407
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,354
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,450
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,682

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08001
February88107
March709031
April4522101
May19543329
June21208637
July0370835
August4294755
September79117493
October4208147
November770017
December1,08901

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 10.3 km from Otero County. 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 USW00003063 (La Junta 17 Wsw). Public domain.