Taos climate

Taos Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Taos, 2.2 km from Taos, elevation 6965 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Taos. 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 October 3, a growing season of about 136 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 19, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last May 7, first October 10

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 11Jun 7Jun 4Jun 1May 31May 29May 26May 23May 20
32°FMay 31May 28May 25May 22May 19May 17May 14May 11May 7
28°FMay 20May 16May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 23
24°FMay 10May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12Apr 6
20°FMay 2Apr 25Apr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 18
16°FApr 18Apr 5Mar 29Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1

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 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5
32°FSep 23Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21
24°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1
20°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13
16°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23

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°F131127123119117114111107100
32°F152147143139136133129124119
28°F173168163159156153149145140
24°F200192187181177173169164157
20°F230220214208203198193186178
16°F259252245238234228222213201

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
6,350
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
351
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,364
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,241
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,285
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,492
Growing degree days, base 60°F
844

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17300
February89901
March76706
April548042
May3166185
June5875467
July6148608
August15100550
September12922347
October476078
November81803
December1,14700

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 2.2 km from Taos. 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 USC00298668 (Taos). Public domain.