Fallon climate

Fallon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fallon Exp Stn, 1.9 km from Fallon, elevation 3965 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fallon Exp Stn. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 139 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 28, 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°FJun 17Jun 11Jun 6Jun 3May 31May 27May 22May 17May 12
32°FJun 4May 27May 20May 15May 12May 8May 4May 1Apr 27
28°FMay 16May 9May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
24°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21Mar 15Mar 8
16°FMar 31Mar 23Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 12

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 4Sep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 29Oct 4
32°FSep 15Sep 21Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 28Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26
24°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2Nov 5
20°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13Nov 17
16°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 30

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°F1331241191141111061019589
32°F162155149144139134127120112
28°F186179174171167163158152144
24°F210204200195191186182176169
20°F242234229223218213208202194
16°F277268261255249243237231221

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
5,418
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
737
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,203
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,950
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,886
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,014
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,306

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99201
February76002
March633025
April456082
May22923275
June64121508
July4306767
August9227684
September9957411
October4093122
November74409
December1,02001

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 1.9 km from Fallon. 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 USC00262780 (Fallon Exp Stn). Public domain.