Gove climate

Gove Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Quinter, 24.8 km from Gove, elevation 2672 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Quinter. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 26

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 18May 12May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
32°FMay 7May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29
24°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 15
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6
16°FApr 3Mar 27Mar 22Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 24

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 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 3Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29
28°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 28
16°FNov 2Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9

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°F174168164161157153149145138
32°F195189184180176171167162155
28°F215208203199195191186182174
24°F236228222217213208204199191
20°F257249243238232228223216208
16°F280271264259253247242235226

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
5,691
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,148
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,821
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,608
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,542
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,610
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,814

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11401
February92806
March734040
April4426127
May18460359
June21237666
July2385848
August6312772
September83133505
October37914186
November735032
December1,06201

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 24.8 km from Gove. 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 USC00146637 (Quinter). Public domain.