El Rito climate

El Rito Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for El Rito, 0.4 km from El Rito, elevation 6870 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for El Rito. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last May 2, first October 15

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 16Jun 10Jun 6Jun 3May 31May 28May 23May 19May 13
32°FJun 4May 29May 24May 19May 15May 12May 8May 4Apr 30
28°FMay 20May 14May 9May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
24°FMay 8May 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
20°FApr 28Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 27Mar 15
16°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 26

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 16Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10
32°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18
28°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 30
24°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
20°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
16°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29

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°F14213412812311911511110699
32°F163156151147143138133127117
28°F185178173169165161156150143
24°F207201196190186182177173166
20°F234225219213209204199192183
16°F265255249244239233228221211

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
6,150
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
311
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,375
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,247
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,277
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,461
Growing degree days, base 60°F
798

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09700
February88600
March76605
April534045
May2867212
June7453429
July7137595
August1796544
September12918342
October4530100
November80905
December1,09300

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 0.4 km from El Rito. 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 USC00292820 (El Rito). Public domain.