Lockwood climate

Lockwood Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lockwood, 0.6 km from Lockwood, elevation 1077 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lockwood. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 198 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last March 31, 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 7May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 6
32°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27
28°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 14
24°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 1
20°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19
16°FMar 16Mar 10Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 14Feb 6

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 30Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 28
32°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
28°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 19
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
16°FNov 13Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25

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°F198189183178174170166161152
32°F218211206202198192187180172
28°F239232227221217213208203195
24°F264254249243238233227221214
20°F286277271265259254248242232
16°F307298292287281275270262253

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
4,566
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,439
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,788
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,434
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,225
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,153
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,225

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00908
February783020
March593484
April30421221
May104101466
June7280723
July0425890
August1387851
September46178583
October25639285
November573378
December888017

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 0.6 km from Lockwood. 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 USC00235027 (Lockwood). Public domain.