Rio Rancho climate

Rio Rancho Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Corrales, 6.5 km from Rio Rancho, elevation 5026 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Corrales. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first October 27

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

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 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
32°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
28°FOct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18
20°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29
16°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 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°F168161157154150147143139133
32°F191186181177173170166161154
28°F220213208204200195191185177
24°F248241236231227223218213206
20°F275267263259255251245240233
16°F309299292286280275270264256

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
4,637
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,010
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,006
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,674
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,524
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,533
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,695

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January93200
February71003
March564037
April3361152
May11640392
June6216660
July0353818
August1297761
September4498504
October3194182
November666015
December94400

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 6.5 km from Rio Rancho. 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 USC00292100 (Corrales). Public domain.