Breckenridge climate

Breckenridge Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Breckenridge 3E, 6.8 km from Breckenridge, elevation 971 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Breckenridge 3E. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 14

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 25May 22May 18May 15May 13May 10May 8May 5May 1
32°FMay 17May 13May 10May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
28°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4
20°FApr 22Apr 16Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 24
16°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16

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

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°F151145142138134130126122117
32°F171165160156152149145140133
28°F190184178175171167163158152
24°F209204199195190187182177170
20°F228220215211208204200195188
16°F244236231226222218214209203

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
8,813
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
514
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,254
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,285
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,421
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,660
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,019

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,74000
February1,46400
March1,18307
April676142
May29525239
June53105502
July8197653
August25146585
September18239318
October599271
November1,06403
December1,52500

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 6.8 km from Breckenridge. 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 USC00210974 (Breckenridge 3E). Public domain.