Cochiti climate

Cochiti Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cochiti Dam, 3.9 km from Cochiti, elevation 5560 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cochiti 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 31

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 18May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 23
32°FMay 8May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13
28°FMay 1Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 10
20°FApr 2Mar 25Mar 18Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 27Feb 18
16°FMar 17Mar 8Mar 3Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 10Feb 3Jan 24

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 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 24
32°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21
20°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1
16°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15

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°F175169165161158154151146139
32°F195189184181178174170164158
28°F217210206201197193189185180
24°F246237232226222217212206197
20°F275267260255251246240233224
16°F312301294287280274268260251

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
4,499
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,210
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,339
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,992
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,823
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,808
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,938

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January93000
February70703
March561042
April3333164
May11167427
June5274718
July0388852
August0326790
September33145563
October2708233
November623029
December92700

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 3.9 km from Cochiti. 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 USC00291982 (Cochiti Dam). Public domain.