Lincoln County climate

Lincoln County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Caliente, 31.1 km from Lincoln County, elevation 4379 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Caliente. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 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°FJun 6Jun 1May 28May 23May 19May 15May 12May 8May 3
32°FMay 23May 15May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 9May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 19Mar 11
20°FApr 3Mar 28Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19
16°FMar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 21Feb 17Feb 13Feb 7Jan 31

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 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
24°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11
20°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21
16°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 17Nov 20Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 2

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°F152146140135131127123117111
32°F176169165160156153148143135
28°F202194189184179176171166159
24°F232223218214208203198192183
20°F264256251244240235230222213
16°F295287279274270265261256246

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
5,061
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
986
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,696
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,423
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,334
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,408
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,631

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January97500
February75701
March615025
April4131107
May17835335
June30176596
July1368832
August2305769
September5598494
October3464164
November698011
December99200

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 31.1 km from Lincoln County. 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 USC00261358 (Caliente). Public domain.