Saguache County climate

Saguache County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Saguache, 12.1 km from Saguache County, elevation 7701 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Saguache. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 3, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 8

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 18Jun 12Jun 7Jun 5Jun 3Jun 1May 29May 25May 20
32°FMay 31May 25May 22May 19May 16May 14May 11May 9May 5
28°FMay 16May 12May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 23
24°FMay 7May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12
20°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 27
16°FApr 18Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9

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 8Sep 13Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29
32°FSep 18Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11
28°FSep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22
24°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
20°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
16°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19

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°F1251181141101071031009589
32°F152146142138135131126122115
28°F171166162159156152148144138
24°F192186181177174170167162155
20°F216209203199194190186181173
16°F243235230224218214208203194

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
7,759
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
96
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,435
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,424
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,578
Growing degree days, base 55°F
900
Growing degree days, base 60°F
394

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,35600
February1,08400
March89001
April657012
May3971116
June14713318
July5249462
August6929425
September2474218
October592026
November92601
December1,34200

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 12.1 km from Saguache 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 USC00057337 (Saguache). Public domain.