Bliss climate

Bliss Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Warsaw 6 Sw, 12.4 km from Bliss, elevation 1820 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Warsaw 6 Sw. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 7, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 28, first October 27

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°FMay 31May 28May 24May 21May 18May 14May 11May 7May 3
32°FMay 22May 18May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 24
28°FMay 14May 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15
24°FMay 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3
20°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26
16°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14

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 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 14
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27
28°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
20°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1
16°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11

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°F155148143138134131127122116
32°F177170165161156152148143135
28°F199192188183179176171166159
24°F222215210205201197193188182
20°F242234230226222218214210204
16°F262254249244240236231227220

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
7,773
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
301
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,909
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,908
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,042
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,304
Growing degree days, base 60°F
714

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,38401
February1,21100
March1,10807
April702243
May35220196
June11557395
July43109530
August5585496
September21826275
October539283
November854014
December1,19201

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 12.4 km from Bliss. 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 USC00308962 (Warsaw 6 Sw). Public domain.