Livingston climate

Livingston Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Livingston Mission Fld, 10.2 km from Livingston, elevation 4643 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Livingston Mission Fld. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around September 14, a growing season of about 108 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 16, first September 1
Median at 32°F
last May 27, first September 14
Median at 28°F
last May 13, first September 26

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°FJul 6Jun 30Jun 23Jun 19Jun 16Jun 12Jun 8Jun 4May 31
32°FJun 14Jun 7Jun 3May 31May 27May 24May 20May 17May 13
28°FMay 30May 23May 19May 16May 13May 11May 8May 5Apr 30
24°FMay 16May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 15
20°FMay 7May 1Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6Mar 30
16°FApr 28Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23Mar 15

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 14Aug 21Aug 25Aug 29Sep 1Sep 4Sep 7Sep 11Sep 15
32°FAug 27Sep 3Sep 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 24Sep 30
28°FSep 8Sep 15Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 6Oct 12
24°FSep 22Sep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 24
20°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 6
16°FOct 9Oct 16Oct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 17

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°F989185817672665950
32°F129122116112108103989285
28°F156149144140135131127120113
24°F182174168164158154149143134
20°F206198191185180175170164156
16°F232221215209203197192185176

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
7,375
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
278
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,741
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,695
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,839
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,158
Growing degree days, base 60°F
635

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,14401
February1,01102
March898010
April684023
May4351115
June19322289
July39130556
August58103511
September25020249
October608268
November897015
December1,15901

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 10.2 km from Livingston. 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 USW00024150 (Livingston Mission Fld). Public domain.