Taylor climate

Taylor Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Taylor, 0.2 km from Taylor, elevation 2270 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Taylor. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 153 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 22, 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°FMay 25May 21May 17May 15May 12May 10May 7May 5May 1
32°FMay 15May 11May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9
24°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29
20°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7

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 15Sep 19Sep 23Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8
32°FSep 23Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23
24°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
20°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12
16°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 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°F153148144140137133130125120
32°F170164161157153149146142136
28°F189183178174170166163159153
24°F211204199195191187182178171
20°F229222217213209204201196189
16°F248240236231227222217212203

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
7,041
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
679
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,707
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,646
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,714
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,911
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,232

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31400
February1,09501
March910017
April582161
May28026249
June46127531
July5255714
August18202649
September14065383
October5144101
November90308
December1,23500

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 0.2 km from Taylor. 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 USC00258455 (Taylor). Public domain.