Lovington climate

Lovington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sullivan 3S, 17.4 km from Lovington, elevation 640 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sullivan 3S. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 187 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 25, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first November 1

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 13May 7May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13
32°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
28°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
24°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 26
16°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 13

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

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°F184177172168164160156151143
32°F207200195191187184179174165
28°F230222217213210206202196189
24°F256247241236232227222217211
20°F276270264258253248242237229
16°F298290283278272267261254246

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
5,449
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,128
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,003
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,773
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,674
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,698
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,844

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18102
February95106
March742247
April36514178
May12796438
June11249688
July2330793
August5274735
September65135522
October31826222
November674141
December1,01103

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 17.4 km from Lovington. 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 USC00118389 (Sullivan 3S). Public domain.