Salt Creek climate

Salt Creek Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pueblo Mem AP, 9.7 km from Salt Creek, elevation 4720 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pueblo Mem AP. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 161 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 18

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 23May 18May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 1Apr 28
32°FMay 12May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
28°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
20°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8
16°FApr 1Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25

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 22Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
28°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
24°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
20°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
16°FOct 25Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25

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°F159155151148145141137133125
32°F179172168164161158154151144
28°F200193189185181177172167160
24°F222215211206201197193188181
20°F244236231227221217212208201
16°F265258253248243238233226217

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
5,334
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,078
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,827
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,568
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,475
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,537
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,740

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02602
February83905
March656034
April4132122
May15947363
June16220654
July1379843
August3307769
September70118501
October3846161
November737021
December1,03201

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 9.7 km from Salt Creek. 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 USW00093058 (Pueblo Mem AP). Public domain.