Panaca climate

Panaca Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cathedral Gorge SP, 2.2 km from Panaca, elevation 4830 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cathedral Gorge SP. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 28, first October 15

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 14Jun 8Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 27May 24May 18May 12
32°FJun 3May 29May 25May 19May 15May 11May 7May 2Apr 27
28°FMay 19May 12May 6May 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
24°FMay 4Apr 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 23
20°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8Mar 2
16°FMar 28Mar 18Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 9

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 12Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
32°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
28°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 25Oct 30
24°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
20°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 30Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18
16°FOct 31Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Dec 1

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°F14113312812311911511110699
32°F165158152146142137131126118
28°F191183177172167161157151143
24°F219210204199193189184176166
20°F250241235229223218212205196
16°F283274267261256250244237228

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
5,463
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
757
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,185
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,965
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,928
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,053
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,335

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99100
February79900
March670018
April462077
May24020265
June49127530
July2299762
August4245707
September8965429
October3901131
November73409
December1,03500

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 2.2 km from Panaca. 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 USC00261590 (Cathedral Gorge SP). Public domain.