Peralta climate

Peralta Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Los Lunas 3 Ssw, 10 km from Peralta, elevation 4840 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Los Lunas 3 Ssw. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first October 31

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 16May 11May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24
24°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7
20°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19
16°FMar 11Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 18Feb 14Feb 8Jan 31

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 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23
32°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 30Nov 2
28°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
24°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 19
20°FNov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29
16°FNov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10

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°F175169164161158155152146140
32°F196190186182178175171166160
28°F221214209205201198193188181
24°F250244238233228224219214207
20°F275268262258254250246240233
16°F305295290283278272268262254

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
4,405
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,192
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,387
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,027
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,837
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,805
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,920

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January92400
February68505
March530052
April2993184
May9262438
June5264709
July0395860
August1332797
September29129551
October2746220
November638020
December93100

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 km from Peralta. 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 USC00295150 (Los Lunas 3 Ssw). Public domain.