Gem County climate

Gem County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ola, 15.6 km from Gem County, elevation 3075 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ola. 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 31 and the first fall freeze around September 16, a growing season of about 108 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 18, first September 4
Median at 32°F
last May 31, first September 16
Median at 28°F
last May 7, 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°FJul 4Jun 29Jun 25Jun 21Jun 18Jun 15Jun 11Jun 7Jun 1
32°FJun 19Jun 13Jun 8Jun 3May 31May 25May 19May 15May 8
28°FMay 30May 21May 15May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
24°FMay 9May 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10Apr 3
20°FApr 23Apr 15Apr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19Mar 12Mar 6
16°FMar 31Mar 21Mar 13Mar 9Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19

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 19Aug 26Aug 30Sep 2Sep 4Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 18
32°FSep 2Sep 6Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30
28°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 8Oct 13
24°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26
20°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 11
16°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19Nov 26

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°F989186817772676254
32°F135127121114108103989285
28°F165157152147142138132126119
24°F197188182178172167162157148
20°F234225218212206201194186176
16°F268259253247242235230222212

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
6,711
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
493
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,248
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,172
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,274
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,536
Growing degree days, base 60°F
942

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19200
February92700
March76304
April558037
May30710198
June12552378
July19221668
August28177614
September17431317
October550157
November89701
December1,17300

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 15.6 km from Gem 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 USC00106586 (Ola). Public domain.