Lovington climate

Lovington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hobbs 13W, 25.7 km from Lovington, elevation 3836 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hobbs 13W. 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 March 28 and the first fall freeze around November 13, a growing season of about 230 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 10, first November 3
Median at 32°F
last March 28, first November 13
Median at 28°F
last March 10, first November 23

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°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 25
32°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 5
28°FApr 2Mar 25Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16
24°FMar 15Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21Feb 15Feb 8Feb 2Jan 24
20°FMar 2Feb 22Feb 15Feb 7Feb 1Jan 26Jan 18Jan 9Dec 30
16°FFeb 18Feb 7Jan 29Jan 21Jan 14Jan 8Jan 2Dec 26Dec 17

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 18Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17
32°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 28
28°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8
24°FNov 16Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24
20°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19Dec 24Dec 31Jan 5Jan 16
16°FDec 4Dec 11Dec 18Dec 23Dec 29Jan 2Jan 8Jan 14Jan 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°F227220213208203198193187177
32°F256247240235230225219212202
28°F284275269263257252246240229
24°F318307300294286279272265253
20°F356345335328320311304296282
16°F365365365358352345337327313

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
96% of years
16°F or colder
70% 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
2,696
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,983
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,560
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,923
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,429
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,104
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,958

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January662027
February464172
March3078207
April12254389
May27216655
June0436886
July0466930
August0462926
September7259702
October9478453
November3774147
December637035

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 25.7 km from Lovington. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00294030 (Hobbs 13W). Public domain.