Pueblo climate

Pueblo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pueblo Rsvr, 9.5 km from Pueblo, elevation 4861 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pueblo Rsvr. 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 April 26 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 166 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 22

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°FMay 19May 14May 11May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 24
32°FMay 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13
28°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24Mar 17
20°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4
16°FApr 3Mar 26Mar 19Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22

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 24Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 17
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
28°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
24°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14
20°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25
16°FOct 30Nov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 4

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°F166160156153150146143139133
32°F184178174170166162159155149
28°F208201195191186183178172165
24°F230222217211207203198192184
20°F254245240235230225219212204
16°F274266260255249244238232222

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
5,292
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,091
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,872
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,608
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,507
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,560
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,759

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00902
February85105
March664039
April4283121
May17448355
June20223654
July1378841
August4308769
September73122504
October3689179
November705034
December99504

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 9.5 km from Pueblo. 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 USC00056765 (Pueblo Rsvr). Public domain.