Cuba climate

Cuba Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cuba, 3.2 km from Cuba, elevation 6908 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cuba. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 119 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 12, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 30, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 17, first October 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°FJun 27Jun 22Jun 18Jun 15Jun 12Jun 8Jun 5Jun 2May 30
32°FJun 16Jun 9Jun 4Jun 1May 30May 28May 24May 21May 16
28°FJun 1May 28May 24May 20May 17May 13May 9May 5Apr 30
24°FMay 17May 12May 8May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 19Apr 13
20°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 25
16°FApr 18Apr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 15Mar 9Mar 2

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 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 21Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1
32°FSep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 9
28°FSep 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19
24°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Nov 1
20°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
16°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17Nov 23

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°F11711110710410096928780
32°F137132127123119115111106101
28°F161154149144141136132127121
24°F189180175170165160156151145
20°F218209202197192187182177168
16°F253242233228221216209202190

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
6,281
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
372
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,312
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,184
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,240
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,467
Growing degree days, base 60°F
846

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13300
February89000
March76601
April548031
May3203171
June7465441
July5166626
August12114567
September14124336
October496064
November80103
December1,09600

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 3.2 km from Cuba. 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 USC00292241 (Cuba). Public domain.