Schurz climate

Schurz Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wabuska 6 Se, 29.9 km from Schurz, elevation 4300 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wabuska 6 Se. 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 31 and the first fall freeze around September 17, a growing season of about 107 days.

Median at 32°F
last May 31, first September 17
Median at 28°F
last May 15, first September 29

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 21Jun 14Jun 8Jun 3May 31May 28May 23May 18May 11
28°FJun 6May 31May 26May 21May 15May 11May 5May 1Apr 26
24°FMay 27May 17May 10May 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
20°FMay 12May 3Apr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 1
16°FMay 1Apr 20Apr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 25Mar 16Mar 8

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°F–––––––––
32°FSep 4Sep 8Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 27Oct 2
28°FSep 13Sep 20Sep 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 14
24°FSep 27Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 26
20°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
16°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15

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°F1049588847974676151
32°F131123118113107102979082
28°F160153147142136131126119109
24°F183174169164160155149143131
20°F208200194190185179174167158
16°F241231222216210205199192181

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
5,832
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
612
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,835
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,654
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,656
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,831
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,150

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03400
February80402
March676020
April494072
May25922255
June76102479
July6260719
August13188640
September13040367
October463195
November79107
December1,08800

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 29.9 km from Schurz. 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 USC00268822 (Wabuska 6 Se). Public domain.