Battle Mountain climate

Battle Mountain Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Battle Mountain 4SE, 4.9 km from Battle Mountain, elevation 4505 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Battle Mountain 4SE. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 141 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 30, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first September 29
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 9

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 15Jun 9Jun 5Jun 2May 30May 25May 20May 15May 10
32°FMay 31May 23May 17May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 28Apr 23
28°FMay 12May 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 6
24°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 15
20°FApr 12Apr 3Mar 27Mar 19Mar 13Mar 7Mar 2Feb 25Feb 18
16°FMar 17Mar 7Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 17Feb 11Feb 7Feb 1

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 5Sep 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 15Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
28°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 24
24°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 20
16°FOct 24Oct 31Nov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23Nov 29Dec 4

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°F13512812311811410910510093
32°F163157151146141137131125117
28°F191184178173168164159153144
24°F222213207201196190185178169
20°F259250243237230224217209197
16°F295283275268262255249241229

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
4,951
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,071
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,902
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,568
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,431
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,484
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,708

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January95601
February72505
March574038
April4003117
May17546346
June39180592
July1402866
August4331792
September72103484
October3546166
November690021
December96102

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 4.9 km from Battle Mountain. 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 USW00024119 (Battle Mountain 4SE). Public domain.