Hagerman climate

Hagerman Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hagerman 2 Sw, 2 km from Hagerman, elevation 2897 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hagerman 2 Sw. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 19, 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 9Jun 3May 29May 23May 19May 16May 13May 9May 4
32°FMay 17May 12May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
24°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30Mar 27Mar 20Mar 12
20°FApr 7Mar 30Mar 23Mar 15Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17
16°FMar 12Mar 5Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 17Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31

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 4Sep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Oct 1Oct 4
32°FSep 16Sep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 31
24°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 14
20°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28
16°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 12

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°F14413613112612111711110597
32°F171164158154151147142137128
28°F199191186182177173169164156
24°F233225218212207203197191184
20°F268260254248242235229220210
16°F306294286279273267261254247

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
5,883
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
671
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,897
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,712
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,709
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,879
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,203

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08000
February84801
March682014
April484165
May23919259
June7499476
July6282741
August12220673
September12548378
October454197
November79705
December1,08200

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 2 km from Hagerman. 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 USC00103932 (Hagerman 2 Sw). Public domain.