Pecos climate

Pecos Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pecos Nm, 3.1 km from Pecos, elevation 6878 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pecos Nm. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 138 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 28, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 13

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 9Jun 4Jun 1May 30May 28May 25May 22May 18May 14
32°FMay 31May 26May 22May 18May 15May 13May 10May 6May 2
28°FMay 19May 14May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
24°FMay 9May 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 8
20°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 23
16°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3

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 10Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5
32°FSep 19Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15
28°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26
24°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
16°FOct 24Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 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°F13412912612211911511110698
32°F157151146142138135131125118
28°F176170166162159155151146139
24°F201195190185182177173168160
20°F226219214209204200196190183
16°F255248241235229223218211202

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
5,796
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
346
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,529
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,344
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,345
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,519
Growing degree days, base 60°F
846

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,01400
February82601
March73507
April519050
May2797220
June5078479
July10146601
August1996543
September12818343
October447094
November75607
December1,01500

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 3.1 km from Pecos. 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 USC00296676 (Pecos Nm). Public domain.