Enterprise climate

Enterprise Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Las Vegas WFO, 5.7 km from Enterprise, elevation 2275 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Las Vegas WFO. 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 February 4 and the first fall freeze around December 5, a growing season of about 302 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 24, first November 23
Median at 32°F
last February 4, first December 5
Median at 28°F
last January 13, first December 20

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°FMar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 20Feb 15Feb 11Feb 3
32°FFeb 27Feb 21Feb 14Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 10
28°FFeb 11Feb 1Jan 25Jan 19Jan 13Jan 7Jan 2Dec 28Dec 17
24°FJan 24Jan 14Jan 11Jan 7Jan 3Dec 31Dec 28Dec 22Dec 15
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7
32°FNov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 8Dec 11Dec 16Dec 23
28°FNov 29Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 20Dec 26Dec 31Jan 5Jan 17
24°FDec 11Dec 18Dec 23Dec 27Dec 31Jan 1Jan 7Jan 12Jan 19
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

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°F297288280275271265260254242
32°F331321313307302296289283273
28°F365359350344339334327318309
24°F365365365365365365364355345
20°F365365365365365365365365365
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
87% of years
24°F or colder
35% of years
20°F or colder
4% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
2,017
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,563
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,689
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,938
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,313
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,886
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,650

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January519044
February3531111
March18729313
April68119502
May10365820
June06631,113
July08591,324
August08121,277
September1529978
October42175599
November28511201
December552033

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 5.7 km from Enterprise. 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 USC00264439 (Las Vegas WFO). Public domain.