Moriarty climate

Moriarty Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Moriarty 1 Ne, 2.6 km from Moriarty, elevation 6220 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Moriarty 1 Ne. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 28, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 14

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 2May 31May 28May 25May 21May 17May 13
32°FJun 2May 26May 21May 17May 14May 11May 8May 4May 1
28°FMay 21May 14May 9May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
24°FMay 11May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 8
20°FApr 30Apr 22Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 24
16°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5

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 13Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5
32°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 25
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
20°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14
16°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23

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°F137131127123120116113108101
32°F160153149146142138133127121
28°F180174169166162158154149142
24°F200194189185182177173168160
20°F226217213209205201196189181
16°F254245240235230226220215206

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
5,892
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
414
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,651
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,480
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,480
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,641
Growing degree days, base 60°F
947

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08200
February85101
March73508
April503055
May25011246
June3593508
July4177638
August12114567
September11819353
October4400101
November78803
December1,07600

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 2.6 km from Moriarty. 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 USC00295908 (Moriarty 1 Ne). Public domain.