Fernley climate

Fernley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wadsworth 4 N, 9.8 km from Fernley, elevation 4000 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wadsworth 4 N. 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 October 1, a growing season of about 145 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 11

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 12Jun 6Jun 2May 29May 25May 20May 17May 13May 6
32°FMay 28May 21May 15May 11May 9May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24
28°FMay 14May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 8
24°FMay 2Apr 25Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 23
20°FApr 18Apr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 5
16°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 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 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
28°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22Oct 27
24°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7
20°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
16°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 29

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°F14213412812411811310910396
32°F165158153148145140136131122
28°F191184178173168163158152144
24°F215207202197192188183177169
20°F243235228222217212207201193
16°F277265258252247241235228218

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
5,366
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
834
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,322
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,058
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,999
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,124
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,405

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98701
February74801
March634023
April435197
May23826273
June71118498
July3348810
August7272730
September9368427
October4073129
November735010
December1,00701

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 9.8 km from Fernley. 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 USC00268838 (Wadsworth 4 N). Public domain.