Pajarito Mesa climate

Pajarito Mesa Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Albuquerque Valley, 10.6 km from Pajarito Mesa, elevation 4955 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Albuquerque Valley. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 2

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 14May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 15
32°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 1
28°FApr 18Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 12
24°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28
20°FMar 16Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 22Feb 17Feb 10
16°FMar 3Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 10Feb 5Jan 31Jan 27Jan 18

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 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 27
32°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
28°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14
24°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 22Nov 25Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5
16°FNov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 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°F186180175171168164161157150
32°F208201197194189185182176170
28°F236228224220215211207201196
24°F261255250246243239233229222
20°F291282278272268264260254248
16°F328317311304298292286279269

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
99% 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
4,155
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,224
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,565
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,160
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,935
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,873
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,969

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January87701
February64507
March487068
April2674206
May8266451
June4269716
July0401866
August0341806
September27137560
October2606231
November612025
December89401

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 10.6 km from Pajarito Mesa. 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 USC00290231 (Albuquerque Valley). Public domain.