Curry County climate

Curry County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Clovis 13 N, 12.3 km from Curry County, elevation 4435 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Clovis 13 N. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 184 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first November 2

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 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 16
32°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 2
28°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22
24°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 6
20°FApr 4Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 24
16°FMar 20Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 22Feb 17Feb 8

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 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
32°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 14
24°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25
20°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 14Dec 21

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°F184178173169165162158154149
32°F204198193188184180176171164
28°F227219214210205200196190182
24°F252243236232227222216210202
20°F274267262256251246239234226
16°F301290284279274269264257248

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
4,221
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,225
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,626
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,205
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,963
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,894
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,982

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January88004
February694012
March532066
April2968202
May10384451
June4280726
July1371835
August1321784
September35144560
October24517268
November575050
December85605

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 12.3 km from Curry County. 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 USC00291963 (Clovis 13 N). Public domain.