Baker climate

Baker Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Baker, 0.2 km from Baker, elevation 2933 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Baker. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 23, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 2, 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 8Jun 1May 29May 25May 23May 20May 17May 13May 8
32°FMay 27May 22May 18May 15May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 29
28°FMay 18May 12May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22Apr 16
24°FMay 9May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12Apr 5
20°FMay 1Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 25
16°FApr 23Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21Mar 12

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 3Sep 8Sep 12Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 26Oct 1
32°FSep 11Sep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 19Sep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
24°FSep 26Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
20°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 5
16°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14

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°F13612912512011711210710193
32°F156149144140135131128123115
28°F173167162158154149145140132
24°F194186181177173169164159151
20°F214206201197192187182176168
16°F234227221215210206200194187

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
8,085
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
594
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,201
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,212
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,356
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,630
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,044

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,46100
February1,21300
March997012
April651147
May35215189
June10294446
July25231670
August44195617
September22455309
October634262
November1,01604
December1,36700

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 0.2 km from Baker. 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 USC00240412 (Baker). Public domain.