Culbertson climate

Culbertson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Culbertson, 0.7 km from Culbertson, elevation 2581 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Culbertson. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 18

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°FMay 26May 20May 16May 13May 10May 8May 6May 3Apr 30
32°FMay 13May 9May 6May 4May 2May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 27
20°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 13
16°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 26Mar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 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 19Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
28°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29
24°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7
20°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16
16°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26

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°F157152148144141138135130124
32°F175169166162158155151147140
28°F194189185181177173169164159
24°F217210205201197193189184178
20°F238231224220215211207201194
16°F258251245239235230224218210

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
6,003
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,097
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,587
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,414
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,386
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,490
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,730

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15800
February96203
March755031
April4674108
May20452332
June27220644
July2376838
August6313772
September93123485
October4159155
November794018
December1,12100

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 0.7 km from Culbertson. 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 USC00252065 (Culbertson). Public domain.