Española climate

Española Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Alcalde, 11.3 km from Española, elevation 5680 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Alcalde. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 145 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 27, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 28, 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 11Jun 5Jun 1May 30May 27May 24May 20May 17May 13
32°FMay 24May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 5May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
24°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
20°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17Mar 11
16°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 1Feb 24

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 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5
32°FSep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15
28°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5
20°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
16°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28

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°F138133128124120117114110103
32°F161156152149145142138133128
28°F186181177172168165161157150
24°F211205200196192189184179172
20°F238230225220216212207201195
16°F268259253248242238233227217

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
5,785
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
496
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,770
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,593
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,583
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,737
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,039

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07900
February83200
March70108
April461067
May22610262
June3295513
July1211674
August8152609
September11228367
October456081
November78902
December1,09000

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 11.3 km from Española. 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 USC00290245 (Alcalde). Public domain.