Stagecoach climate

Stagecoach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Virginia City, 24.6 km from Stagecoach, elevation 6340 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Virginia City. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 155 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 31

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 15Jun 9Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 27May 21May 16May 8
32°FJun 5May 30May 22May 16May 12May 7May 2Apr 28Apr 23
28°FMay 18May 8Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 12Apr 5
24°FApr 29Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 7Apr 2Mar 29Mar 19Mar 7
20°FApr 10Apr 2Mar 27Mar 16Mar 9Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17Feb 8
16°FMar 13Mar 2Feb 25Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Jan 29Jan 18Jan 2

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 22Sep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 23
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 31Nov 6
28°FOct 12Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12Nov 17
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14
16°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 26Jan 6

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°F156147141136131125121116108
32°F183173167161155150145138127
28°F214204196191185179173165154
24°F250237228222215209203195183
20°F295280273264257248238230219
16°F343327317308298290281274257

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
98% 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
5,864
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
629
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,744
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,574
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,606
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,807
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,156

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January96300
February81602
March746013
April596046
May35613190
June12582418
July11248702
August14208659
September11771414
October4137143
November728019
December98101

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 24.6 km from Stagecoach. 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 USC00268761 (Virginia City). Public domain.