Santa Fe climate

Santa Fe Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Santa Fe 2, 8.2 km from Santa Fe, elevation 6756 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Santa Fe 2. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 6, a growing season of about 144 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 26, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first October 6
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 16

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

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°F142136132128124120117111104
32°F162156152148144140136131124
28°F185178173169166161157152146
24°F209201196192187183179174166
20°F236229223217211206201195186
16°F264256249244238233228221212

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
5,880
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
438
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,664
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,502
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,504
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,663
Growing degree days, base 60°F
973

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07100
February85000
March72908
April500058
May25211245
June39101513
July6175634
August11121575
September11429367
October4390100
November78904
December1,08200

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 8.2 km from Santa Fe. 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 USC00298085 (Santa Fe 2). Public domain.