Gordon climate

Gordon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gordon 6N, 10.2 km from Gordon, elevation 3748 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gordon 6N. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 23, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last May 2, first October 11

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 31May 28May 25May 23May 20May 17May 13May 9
32°FMay 26May 21May 17May 14May 11May 9May 6May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 17May 11May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 17
24°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
20°FApr 25Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 23
16°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17Mar 10

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 10Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
28°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25
24°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
20°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
16°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19

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°F141135131128124121117112105
32°F161154150146142139135130125
28°F180175169166162158154148141
24°F203195190185181176172166158
20°F221214209205201196192186178
16°F241232226222217214210204196

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
7,376
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
597
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,403
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,367
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,479
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,723
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,093

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,28500
February1,10201
March930013
April644148
May35812192
June9291452
July16232682
August28198636
September18061353
October568291
November924011
December1,25100

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 Gordon. 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 USC00253355 (Gordon 6N). Public domain.