Gardiner climate

Gardiner Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gardiner, 0.2 km from Gardiner, elevation 5275 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gardiner. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 128 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 6, first September 16
Median at 32°F
last May 21, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 7

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 22Jun 16Jun 12Jun 8Jun 6Jun 3Jun 1May 27May 20
32°FJun 9Jun 3May 29May 25May 21May 18May 14May 11May 5
28°FMay 23May 16May 12May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20
24°FMay 9May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 4
20°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 18
16°FApr 16Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11Mar 4

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 2Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 30
32°FSep 12Sep 19Sep 23Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 6Oct 11
28°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
24°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 3
20°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
16°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23

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°F12111511010510197938779
32°F149142136132128124120114105
28°F176167162157153149144139131
24°F203194188183178174168163154
20°F228221215210205200194187178
16°F250242236231226221216211202

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
7,194
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
407
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,051
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,015
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,145
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,426
Growing degree days, base 60°F
844

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21500
February1,02900
March87003
April615030
May3754151
June13845361
July20181626
August28147585
September18328311
October556174
November93504
December1,23100

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 Gardiner. 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 USC00243378 (Gardiner). Public domain.