Sandy Valley climate

Sandy Valley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Goodsprings, 18.6 km from Sandy Valley, elevation 3716 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Goodsprings. 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 March 17 and the first fall freeze around November 20, a growing season of about 245 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first November 9
Median at 32°F
last March 17, first November 20
Median at 28°F
last February 26, first December 1

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°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 24Mar 15
32°FApr 11Apr 4Mar 31Mar 24Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 1Feb 23
28°FMar 27Mar 14Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 7Jan 30
24°FMar 5Feb 24Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 24Jan 13Jan 6Dec 28
20°FFeb 26Feb 10Jan 31Jan 16Jan 9Jan 3Dec 31Dec 24Dec 15
16°FFeb 27Jan 31Jan 16Jan 9Jan 5Jan 1Dec 30Dec 21Dec 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°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22
32°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
28°FNov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 13Dec 21
24°FNov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 15Dec 21Dec 26Jan 2Jan 15
20°FDec 3Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 7Jan 20Feb 9
16°FDec 8Dec 18Dec 25Dec 31Jan 1Jan 5Jan 12Jan 24Feb 23

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°F241233226220214209204197189
32°F275265257251245239232225215
28°F315302294287280273266256246
24°F361348339333324316308297284
20°F365365365365362354345335317
16°F365365365365365365365365352

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
96% of years
20°F or colder
53% of years
16°F or colder
18% 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
3,013
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,295
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,512
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,894
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,457
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,234
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,186

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January668010
February512030
March3732140
April18131309
May43208631
June3450897
July06321,097
August05661,031
September7329772
October11376430
November4251102
December68808

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 18.6 km from Sandy Valley. 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 USC00263316 (Goodsprings). Public domain.