Radium Springs climate

Radium Springs Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jornada Exp Range, 21.8 km from Radium Springs, elevation 4318 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jornada Exp Range. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first November 1

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 21May 16May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26
32°FMay 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
28°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 28
24°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 7
20°FApr 2Mar 25Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 19
16°FMar 13Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 11Feb 5Jan 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°FOct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27
32°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13
24°FOct 23Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3
16°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16

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°F176170166163159156153148142
32°F196190185182178175171166160
28°F220213207203199195191186178
24°F248239233227223219214209201
20°F277268262257251246240232223
16°F309298291285280274269263254

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
3,569
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,588
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,383
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,882
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,558
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,406
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,417

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January79004
February576127
March4371102
April22211252
May54110522
June2348796
July0473938
August0408873
September12210648
October17427328
November511163
December79206

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 21.8 km from Radium Springs. 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 USC00294426 (Jornada Exp Range). Public domain.