Albuquerque climate

Albuquerque Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Albuquerque Intl AP, 5.8 km from Albuquerque, elevation 5310 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Albuquerque Intl AP. 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 April 6 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 208 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 17, first November 15

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°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
32°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25Mar 17
28°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 1
24°FMar 19Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 21Feb 16Feb 9
20°FMar 6Feb 28Feb 21Feb 16Feb 11Feb 6Feb 2Jan 27Jan 15
16°FFeb 17Feb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 15Jan 6Dec 30Dec 19

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 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
32°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16
28°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 20Nov 22Nov 26
24°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 21Nov 24Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8
20°FNov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 7Dec 11Dec 15Dec 19Dec 25
16°FDec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21Dec 25Dec 29Jan 4Jan 22

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°F204198193190186182178174168
32°F230222217212208205200194187
28°F262255249243238233228222212
24°F291282277271267263259253245
20°F330319311305298292285278269
16°F364357351344337331325316305

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
90% 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
3,996
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,438
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,911
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,490
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,250
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,167
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,230

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January85600
February64508
March481078
April2557225
May70105502
June2336784
July0429894
August0367832
September20179609
October22013277
November579039
December87001

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 5.8 km from Albuquerque. 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 USW00023050 (Albuquerque Intl AP). Public domain.