Mosquero climate

Mosquero Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mosquero 1 Ne, 3 km from Mosquero, elevation 5465 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mosquero 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 20

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 25May 22May 18May 16May 13May 10May 8May 4May 1
32°FMay 17May 12May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21
28°FMay 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
24°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 28
20°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 13
16°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 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 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 24
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
24°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21
16°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1

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°F160154151147145141138133127
32°F177171167163160157153149143
28°F198191186182178174171165158
24°F220211206201197193189184175
20°F242234228224220216212206197
16°F267260254248242237231225216

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
4,776
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
902
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,911
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,575
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,411
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,415
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,578

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January92801
February75006
March605045
April3672144
May14943368
June12203640
July1307770
August3243705
September5698493
October3086203
November656032
December94102

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 3 km from Mosquero. 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 USC00295937 (Mosquero 1 Ne). Public domain.