Pray climate

Pray Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Livingston 12 S, 16 km from Pray, elevation 5044 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Livingston 12 S. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around September 25, a growing season of about 125 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 8, first September 11
Median at 32°F
last May 19, first September 25
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 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°FJun 30Jun 22Jun 15Jun 11Jun 8Jun 4May 31May 27May 21
32°FJun 11Jun 2May 27May 23May 19May 16May 12May 9May 5
28°FMay 19May 14May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 24Apr 18
24°FMay 7May 2Apr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 3
20°FApr 28Apr 20Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
16°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 11Mar 5

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 26Sep 1Sep 4Sep 8Sep 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 22Sep 28
32°FSep 7Sep 13Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7
28°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 21
24°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 24Oct 28Nov 2
20°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8Nov 13
16°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 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°F118110104999388837766
32°F14613913513012512011510799
28°F175167161157152148144139132
24°F201193187182176171166161153
20°F228219212207201195190182173
16°F252242235228223218212206196

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
7,278
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
239
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,724
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,668
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,799
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,109
Growing degree days, base 60°F
588

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15900
February1,00701
March86508
April633028
May4093125
June19218284
July44112533
August6086493
September24220253
October590165
November899010
December1,17900

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 16 km from Pray. 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 USC00245080 (Livingston 12 S). Public domain.