Artesia climate

Artesia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Artesia 6S, 9.9 km from Artesia, elevation 3366 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Artesia 6S. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 198 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 22, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 5

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 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
32°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 2Mar 27
28°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10
24°FApr 1Mar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 20
20°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 15Feb 9Feb 3
16°FMar 3Feb 25Feb 18Feb 12Feb 7Feb 2Jan 30Jan 23Jan 13

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 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
32°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9
28°FOct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30
20°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10
16°FNov 19Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16Dec 22Dec 30

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°F199192188183180177173169162
32°F218211206202198195190186179
28°F244237231226220217211206198
24°F271262256252247242237232223
20°F299290283278272267262256248
16°F334324315308301294288281271

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
3,360
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,790
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,820
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,291
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,922
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,717
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,675

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January763013
February557038
March3913147
April17628315
May37180608
June0407856
July0481946
August0437902
September19218650
October16735348
November489185
December761014

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 9.9 km from Artesia. 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 USC00290600 (Artesia 6S). Public domain.