Bayard climate

Bayard Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bridgeport, 20.7 km from Bayard, elevation 3666 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bridgeport. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 13

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 3May 30May 25May 22May 19May 16May 13May 10May 6
32°FMay 23May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 11May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
24°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24Mar 16
16°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8Mar 3

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 11Sep 16Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 7
32°FSep 21Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15
28°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
24°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 4
20°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
16°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22

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°F146139134130126122119115107
32°F164159154151147144140134128
28°F185179173170166162159154148
24°F208200194189186182177172166
20°F230222215210204200195189182
16°F251243237232226220214208199

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
6,106
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
895
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,224
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,063
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,062
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,206
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,487

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13300
February93401
March744020
April489288
May23533291
June37169583
July3337799
August10268724
September10584435
October4672112
November81609
December1,13400

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 20.7 km from Bayard. 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 USC00251145 (Bridgeport). Public domain.