Eddy County climate

Eddy County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Brantley Dam, 8.9 km from Eddy County, elevation 3213 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Brantley 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 March 25 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 226 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 10, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last March 25, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 5, first November 18

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°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 23
32°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6
28°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 17
24°FMar 9Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 19Feb 16Feb 10Feb 5Jan 31
20°FFeb 26Feb 20Feb 13Feb 8Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 18Jan 5
16°FFeb 15Feb 6Feb 1Jan 27Jan 19Jan 13Jan 4Dec 29Dec 17

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 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11
32°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20
28°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1
24°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12
20°FNov 21Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24Jan 1
16°FNov 28Dec 7Dec 15Dec 20Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 11Jan 27

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°F221215209205202198193187179
32°F249242236230226221215210202
28°F276269263259255249245237228
24°F304297289283279273268261255
20°F343330321314307301294287278
16°F365365360351344335329320307

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
77% 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
2,838
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,164
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,608
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,000
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,541
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,252
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,126

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January671026
February491160
March3049209
April11559401
May22242686
June0476925
July05441,009
August0498962
September11270710
October12362414
November4234116
December679024

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 8.9 km from Eddy 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 USC00291153 (Brantley Dam). Public domain.