Cloudcroft climate

Cloudcroft Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cloudcroft, 0.7 km from Cloudcroft, elevation 8680 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cloudcroft. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 134 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 1, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 18, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 5, first October 13

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 6Jun 3Jun 1May 30May 27May 25May 21
32°FJun 1May 27May 23May 21May 18May 16May 14May 11May 7
28°FMay 16May 12May 10May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 23
24°FMay 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 7
20°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 28Mar 21
16°FApr 15Apr 7Apr 1Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8Mar 3

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 6Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 2
32°FSep 18Sep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
28°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28
24°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
20°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19
16°FOct 29Nov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Dec 1

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°F1261201151111081051019688
32°F152145141137134131126121114
28°F177171166163159155151146139
24°F205198193188184180176171164
20°F232223218213209203199194186
16°F260251246241236230224219210

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
7,031
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
8
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,142
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,061
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,187
Growing degree days, base 55°F
519
Growing degree days, base 60°F
115

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06300
February89200
March83101
April612014
May4030106
June1684287
July1553313
August1830282
September3080153
October557029
November80901
December1,05100

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 0.7 km from Cloudcroft. 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 USC00291931 (Cloudcroft). Public domain.