Yah-ta-hey climate

Yah-ta-hey Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gallup Muni AP, 12.7 km from Yah-ta-hey, elevation 6471 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gallup Muni AP. 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 31 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 119 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 10, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 31, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 17, first October 5

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 23Jun 19Jun 15Jun 12Jun 10Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 29
32°FJun 14Jun 9Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 28May 24May 20May 15
28°FJun 2May 28May 23May 20May 17May 13May 9May 6May 2
24°FMay 19May 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19
20°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7
16°FApr 24Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 16

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

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°F11811110810410197949084
32°F137131126122119115111107101
28°F161154149144140136132127121
24°F183176171167162159154149142
20°F207199194190185181176170163
16°F233225218213209204199194185

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
6,105
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
475
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,536
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,404
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,445
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,641
Growing degree days, base 60°F
985

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09100
February85700
March75603
April540041
May2955200
June6180470
July2208671
August6152611
September11530367
October473080
November81003
December1,09900

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 12.7 km from Yah-ta-hey. 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 USW00023081 (Gallup Muni AP). Public domain.