Winnemucca climate

Winnemucca Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Winnemucca 3SSW, 4 km from Winnemucca, elevation 4355 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Winnemucca 3SSW. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 129 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 5, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 23, first September 29
Median at 28°F
last May 7, first October 7

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 21Jun 16Jun 12Jun 8Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 25May 19
32°FJun 14Jun 6Jun 2May 28May 23May 18May 14May 9May 4
28°FMay 31May 21May 14May 10May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 25Apr 20
24°FMay 11May 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
20°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 23Mar 14
16°FApr 5Mar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27Feb 17

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 3Sep 8Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Oct 1
32°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 12
28°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 23
24°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29Nov 5
20°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27

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°F125119114108104100969183
32°F153144138133129125119113103
28°F176168162157153147142136126
24°F200193188183179174169163155
20°F234224216211205199194187178
16°F272260250243237232224217208

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
6,161
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
675
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,720
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,578
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,624
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,838
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,192

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07000
February84301
March744010
April551154
May30914212
June9797456
July5293753
August13217670
September14151372
October490290
November80306
December1,09700

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 4 km from Winnemucca. 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 USC00269168 (Winnemucca 3SSW). Public domain.