Highland Meadows climate

Highland Meadows Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cubero, 36 km from Highland Meadows, elevation 6195 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cubero. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 145 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 26, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 13, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 30, 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 8Jun 4Jun 1May 29May 26May 23May 20May 16May 11
32°FMay 29May 24May 20May 17May 13May 10May 7May 2Apr 29
28°FMay 17May 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 14
24°FMay 4Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
20°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 15
16°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28

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 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7
32°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
20°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16
16°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 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°F142136131128124121116111104
32°F164158154149145141136130124
28°F187180175171166162157152144
24°F210203197193190185181175167
20°F236227221216212208203197189
16°F262255250243238233228222213

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
5,153
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
705
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,348
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,084
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,001
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,080
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,319

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January97000
February76902
March648019
April4151101
May18724311
June21164592
July0268733
August3193656
September7054434
October3691144
November707010
December99500

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 36 km from Highland Meadows. 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 USC00292250 (Cubero). Public domain.