Ely climate

Ely Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ely Yelland Fld AP, 6.5 km from Ely, elevation 6262 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ely Yelland Fld AP. 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 June 12 and the first fall freeze around September 13, a growing season of about 91 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 12, first September 13
Median at 28°F
last May 31, first September 23

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 28Jun 23Jun 19Jun 16Jun 12Jun 10Jun 6Jun 3May 29
28°FJun 17Jun 12Jun 7Jun 3May 31May 27May 22May 17May 11
24°FJun 5May 28May 21May 17May 13May 9May 4Apr 30Apr 23
20°FMay 17May 10May 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 8
16°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 19

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°F–––––––––
32°FAug 31Sep 4Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 15Sep 18Sep 22Sep 26
28°FSep 8Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 6
24°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17
20°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29
16°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31Nov 4Nov 9

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°F888276726965605545
32°F11210499949186827770
28°F1361291241181151101059891
24°F167159153148143138132125116
20°F194187182176172167161154145
16°F221213206200195190185178170

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
7,167
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
298
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,824
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,796
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,951
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,263
Growing degree days, base 60°F
710

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18700
February98000
March84803
April654019
May4222123
June14836347
July14146597
August28104541
September21012270
October577050
November89902
December1,20100

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 6.5 km from Ely. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00023154 (Ely Yelland Fld AP). Public domain.