Paonia climate

Paonia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Paonia 1SW, 3.2 km from Paonia, elevation 5581 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Paonia 1SW. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 159 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 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°FJun 1May 28May 23May 20May 17May 14May 10May 6May 3
32°FMay 18May 14May 9May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
28°FMay 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 27Mar 17
20°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 2Mar 29Mar 22Mar 17Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1
16°FMar 27Mar 17Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 11

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 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12Oct 16
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 5
24°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 16
20°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25
16°FNov 2Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 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°F158151146141137133129123116
32°F179172168163159155151146139
28°F202194189184180176171166159
24°F228218212207202197192187179
20°F257249242235230224219212204
16°F287277271266261255249240229

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
5,912
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
683
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,070
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,892
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,863
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,991
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,264

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16400
February88300
March704017
April488077
May24014261
June44123530
July2275738
August5216676
September9155419
October4041132
November755013
December1,13300

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 3.2 km from Paonia. 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 USC00056306 (Paonia 1SW). Public domain.