Twin Lakes climate

Twin Lakes Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gallup Sand & Gravel, 21.1 km from Twin Lakes, elevation 6577 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gallup Sand & Gravel. 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 7, a growing season of about 148 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 29, 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 7Jun 3Jun 1May 28May 25May 22May 19May 15May 11
32°FMay 26May 20May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 14May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
24°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
20°FApr 18Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20Mar 13
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22

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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
28°FOct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31
24°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
20°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20
16°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28

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°F144138134131126123120116109
32°F165158154151148145140136130
28°F188181176172168164160156150
24°F213206201197193189185180173
20°F241234228224220215210203197
16°F270261256252247243238233224

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
5,914
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
525
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,744
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,584
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,601
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,765
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,072

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08300
February86100
March75806
April508056
May26010240
June41102512
July1221685
August7156614
September10436385
October442198
November76806
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 21.1 km from Twin Lakes. 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 USC00293428 (Gallup Sand & Gravel). Public domain.