Kirtland climate

Kirtland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fruitland, 1.1 km from Kirtland, elevation 5130 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fruitland. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 27, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 29, 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 12Jun 6Jun 2May 31May 27May 23May 21May 17May 11
32°FMay 29May 23May 20May 16May 12May 9May 5May 2Apr 29
28°FMay 12May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16
24°FApr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
20°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19Mar 12
16°FApr 11Apr 3Mar 27Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 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 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 10
32°FSep 21Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
28°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26Nov 1
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
20°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17
16°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 16Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24

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°F140134128124120117113109102
32°F165157152147143139135130123
28°F189181176171167163159153146
24°F211205199195191186181176169
20°F238230224219214209204199190
16°F262256251246241235229222213

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
5,671
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
750
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,196
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,003
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,963
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,078
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,345

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09100
February85400
March682012
April462078
May19917293
June31132550
July1297761
August3240702
September7862436
October4011123
November78107
December1,08800

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 1.1 km from Kirtland. 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 USC00293340 (Fruitland). Public domain.