Pioche climate

Pioche Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pioche, 0.4 km from Pioche, elevation 5990 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pioche. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 166 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 28

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 4May 30May 25May 20May 15May 11May 7May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 23May 16May 10May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 9May 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7Apr 1
24°FApr 27Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 20Mar 12
20°FApr 12Apr 5Mar 30Mar 24Mar 17Mar 11Mar 5Feb 28Feb 21
16°FMar 29Mar 17Mar 9Mar 2Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 11Feb 1

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 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22
32°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 3
28°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 17
24°FOct 21Oct 28Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28
20°FNov 1Nov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Nov 29Dec 4Dec 9
16°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 20

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°F165158153148144140134128120
32°F189180175170166161156151143
28°F215206200195191186180174166
24°F245234228221216210204198189
20°F277269261254248241235227215
16°F312299291285280273267258245

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
5,618
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
716
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,031
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,842
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,838
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,986
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,284

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98700
February83600
March721013
April528057
May28318235
June66123511
July4281742
August5231691
September8660427
October3843143
November708020
December1,01000

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 0.4 km from Pioche. 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 USC00266252 (Pioche). Public domain.