Algodones climate

Algodones Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jemez Dam, 5.9 km from Algodones, elevation 5388 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jemez Dam. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 188 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 17, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first November 4

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 14May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17
32°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
28°FApr 21Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 13
24°FApr 4Mar 26Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24
20°FMar 12Mar 7Mar 3Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 19Feb 14Feb 7
16°FMar 2Feb 24Feb 19Feb 14Feb 10Feb 6Feb 2Jan 27Jan 16

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 3Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 27
32°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 21Nov 25
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 20Nov 23Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 20Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24

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°F184178174170166163159155148
32°F207200195191188184180174167
28°F238230223218213209204198190
24°F265259253249245241235228219
20°F291283278273269265261256249
16°F327317310304299294287280272

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
4,549
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,258
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,371
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,023
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,853
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,844
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,979

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January94900
February72803
March558043
April3242163
May11467421
June4280726
July0414879
August0346811
September29143564
October2727226
November646019
December92400

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 5.9 km from Algodones. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00294366 (Jemez Dam). Public domain.