De Baca County climate

De Baca County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ft Sumner 5 S, 15.9 km from De Baca County, elevation 4050 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ft Sumner 5 S. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 27, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last April 3, first November 3

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 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14
32°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7Apr 1
28°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 13
24°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 27Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27
20°FMar 19Mar 12Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 16Feb 9
16°FMar 10Mar 1Feb 24Feb 19Feb 15Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 20

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 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 13
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 21
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1
16°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 20

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°F189184180177173169166162156
32°F211204199194190187183179172
28°F233226220215211206201195188
24°F257250246241236231225218210
20°F288279272267262258254247238
16°F319309302295289283277271260

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
3,661
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,620
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,411
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,927
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,607
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,456
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,459

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January79809
February605025
March4131126
April20120282
May45143564
June0376826
July0465930
August0400865
September14189626
October20427307
November580039
December80109

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 15.9 km from De Baca 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 USC00293296 (Ft Sumner 5 S). Public domain.