Nevada climate

Nevada Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Nevada Wtp, 1.7 km from Nevada, elevation 871 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Nevada Wtp. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 202 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 5

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 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 8Apr 3
32°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
28°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 10
24°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28
20°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17
16°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 13Feb 3

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°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
32°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
28°FOct 22Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 24
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 5
20°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18
16°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24Dec 30

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°F200193189184180175170165158
32°F222214209206202198193187180
28°F247239233228224219214209201
24°F269262256251245240235228220
20°F291283277271265260255248239
16°F312302294288283277272266258

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
4,660
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,437
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,742
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,402
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,202
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,143
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,219

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03806
February811016
March602581
April30423224
May101105472
June7287730
July0420885
August2383846
September48177580
October25934277
November582373
December907013

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 1.7 km from Nevada. 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 USC00235987 (Nevada Wtp). Public domain.