Conrad climate

Conrad Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Conrad, 0.5 km from Conrad, elevation 3550 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Conrad. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around September 19, a growing season of about 119 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 7, first September 7
Median at 32°F
last May 20, first September 19
Median at 28°F
last May 8, first September 30

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

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 22Aug 28Sep 2Sep 4Sep 7Sep 9Sep 12Sep 15Sep 19
32°FSep 4Sep 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Oct 2
28°FSep 15Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12
24°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 24
20°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
16°FOct 8Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10

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°F11010499959287827768
32°F138132128123119116112108101
28°F163156151148144141137132126
24°F184179173169165162158153146
20°F206199194189185182177172166
16°F226218213208204200195189181

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
7,981
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
242
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,595
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,591
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,758
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,089
Growing degree days, base 60°F
580

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31300
February1,12401
March98304
April659025
May3943136
June17923300
July51111526
August7090488
September27214224
October652149
November99805
December1,28800

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 0.5 km from Conrad. 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 USC00241974 (Conrad). Public domain.