Raton climate

Raton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Raton Krtn Radio, 1.9 km from Raton, elevation 6640 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Raton Krtn Radio. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 132 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 19, first September 29
Median at 28°F
last May 7, first October 6

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 13Jun 8Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 29May 26May 22May 18
32°FJun 2May 29May 25May 22May 19May 16May 13May 10May 6
28°FMay 20May 16May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 24
24°FMay 10May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
20°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 28
16°FApr 17Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13

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 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 21Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1
32°FSep 18Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8
28°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
24°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
20°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
16°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17

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°F12912311911611310910510195
32°F150144140136132129124120114
28°F169163159155152149145141135
24°F193185181177173170165160154
20°F216209204200196192188182174
16°F239232227222218213209204195

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
6,181
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
223
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,234
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,085
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,113
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,309
Growing degree days, base 60°F
674

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06600
February88600
March76707
April543042
May3093187
June7446422
July11102556
August2562502
September15510309
October479080
November79407
December1,07301

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 1.9 km from Raton. 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 USC00297280 (Raton Krtn Radio). Public domain.