Ruidoso climate

Ruidoso Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ruidoso, 4.1 km from Ruidoso, elevation 6930 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ruidoso. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 23, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 17

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 5Jun 2May 30May 26May 23May 21May 18May 15May 11
32°FMay 22May 18May 16May 13May 11May 9May 6May 4Apr 30
28°FMay 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 15
24°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 15
16°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 19

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 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6
32°FSep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
28°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9
20°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
16°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 4

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°F140133130126123119115111104
32°F165158153150147144140135129
28°F190182178174170166162157151
24°F213206201197193189185181173
20°F240232225221217212207202194
16°F271261254248242236230224215

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
5,567
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
143
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,326
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,081
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,048
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,210
Growing degree days, base 60°F
553

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January93900
February78102
March70509
April486055
May2664215
June5942433
July2562502
August4930446
September1674289
October434092
November72305
December93200

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 Ruidoso. 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 USC00297649 (Ruidoso). Public domain.