Walsenburg climate

Walsenburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Walsenburg 1 Nw, 1.5 km from Walsenburg, elevation 6292 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Walsenburg 1 Nw. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 149 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 15

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 24May 21May 18May 15May 12May 9May 5
32°FMay 20May 15May 11May 8May 6May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 24
28°FMay 9May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
24°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
20°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25Mar 19
16°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 11Mar 3

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 15Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
24°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
20°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12Nov 18
16°FOct 24Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27

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°F148142138134131128123119112
32°F168161156152149146141137131
28°F187180176172168165161156149
24°F208201196191187183179174168
20°F233225218212207203198193186
16°F256246239233227222216209201

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
5,463
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
623
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,207
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,942
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,857
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,946
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,202

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January96103
February82906
March708030
April496185
May24717264
June42121530
July4235696
August10185640
September10260412
October3903154
November696034
December97803

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 Walsenburg. 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 USC00058781 (Walsenburg 1 Nw). Public domain.