Salida climate

Salida Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Salida, 1.5 km from Salida, elevation 7160 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Salida. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around September 20, a growing season of about 112 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 10, first September 10
Median at 32°F
last May 29, first September 20
Median at 28°F
last May 17, first September 29

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 26Jun 21Jun 16Jun 13Jun 10Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 29
32°FJun 12Jun 6Jun 3Jun 1May 29May 26May 23May 20May 15
28°FMay 31May 26May 22May 20May 17May 15May 11May 8May 3
24°FMay 19May 15May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20
20°FMay 9May 4May 1Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
16°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 21

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°FAug 29Sep 2Sep 5Sep 8Sep 10Sep 12Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20
32°FSep 8Sep 13Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 30
28°FSep 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11
24°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
20°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
16°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10

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°F10510096939086827770
32°F13012511911511210910510195
28°F154148143139136132128125117
24°F175169164160156153149144138
20°F198191186182177173168164157
16°F223216209204200195191184176

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
6,970
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
187
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,791
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,738
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,855
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,128
Growing degree days, base 60°F
568

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16400
February97600
March85303
April630026
May3921132
June10435382
July2096541
August4550470
September2175249
October553049
November86703
December1,15000

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 1.5 km from Salida. 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 USC00057370 (Salida). Public domain.