Questa climate

Questa Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cerro, 4.1 km from Questa, elevation 7650 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cerro. 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 31 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 116 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 11, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 31, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 18, first October 3

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 28Jun 22Jun 17Jun 14Jun 11Jun 8Jun 5Jun 2May 30
32°FJun 13Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 31May 28May 25May 21May 17
28°FJun 3May 29May 24May 21May 18May 15May 12May 9May 4
24°FMay 19May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22
20°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
16°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 22

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 4Sep 8Sep 12Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27
32°FSep 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 6
28°FSep 20Sep 24Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14
24°FSep 28Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23
20°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29Nov 2
16°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13

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°F1131081041009692898476
32°F13312812412011611310910598
28°F156150146142138135131125118
24°F176170166162159156151147141
20°F199193187183178174169165159
16°F224215210205201196191185178

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
7,384
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
130
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,657
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,619
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,747
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,034
Growing degree days, base 60°F
484

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32200
February1,03500
March86701
April620017
May3912125
June11829362
July2660499
August5534445
September2085255
October553043
November90301
December1,28800

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 4.1 km from Questa. 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 USC00291630 (Cerro). Public domain.