Ely climate

Ely Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ely, 2.4 km from Ely, elevation 1382 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ely. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around September 23, a growing season of about 121 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 3, first September 13
Median at 32°F
last May 24, first September 23
Median at 28°F
last May 10, first October 4

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 19Jun 12Jun 8Jun 5Jun 3Jun 1May 29May 26May 22
32°FJun 4May 31May 29May 26May 24May 21May 17May 14May 10
28°FMay 25May 21May 17May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30
24°FMay 16May 11May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19
20°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9
16°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1

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

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°F11911210810410197928778
32°F141134130125121117114109103
28°F164157152148144139135131123
24°F188180175172168163157152145
20°F206200196192188184180176169
16°F225218213209205202198193187

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
10,053
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
236
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,338
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,473
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,719
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,081
Growing degree days, base 60°F
576

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,88600
February1,56900
March1,29100
April810013
May4226136
June13246367
July6397499
August7071467
September29516207
October713030
November1,15400
December1,64900

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 2.4 km from Ely. 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 USC00212543 (Ely). Public domain.