Holloman Air Force Base climate

Holloman Air Force Base Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for White Sands Natl Mon, 10.2 km from Holloman Air Force Base, elevation 4006 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for White Sands Natl Mon. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first October 31

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 12May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
32°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8
28°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 21
24°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6
20°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 16
16°FMar 12Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 11Feb 4Jan 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°FOct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 27
32°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
20°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 19Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
16°FNov 10Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 15

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°F182176172169165162158154149
32°F201195191186183180175171164
28°F225217212208204200196192185
24°F249242237232227222217213206
20°F276267262257252248244238229
16°F307297289283278271265259252

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
3,443
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,827
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,754
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,244
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,904
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,728
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,705

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January78405
February564027
March3982134
April18129311
May36166596
June1416865
July0502967
August0439904
September11236675
October16536347
November511167
December79408

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 10.2 km from Holloman Air Force Base. 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 USC00299686 (White Sands Natl Mon). Public domain.