Beach climate

Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beach, 1.5 km from Beach, elevation 2800 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beach. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 130 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 15
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 4

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 13Jun 5May 31May 28May 25May 23May 20May 17May 14
32°FMay 30May 24May 21May 18May 16May 13May 11May 8May 4
28°FMay 19May 15May 11May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 23
24°FMay 9May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12
20°FApr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
16°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 19

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 1Sep 6Sep 9Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28
32°FSep 10Sep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
28°FSep 18Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17
24°FSep 27Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26
20°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
16°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12

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°F1291231181131091051029788
32°F149143139134130127123118110
28°F166161157153149146142137130
24°F186180176172167164160155147
20°F207200195191187183178174167
16°F230221215211207202198193185

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
8,236
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
492
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,051
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,072
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,227
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,510
Growing degree days, base 60°F
928

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49600
February1,24000
March1,03204
April661137
May35310182
June11166407
July31188623
August41179604
September21547305
October640160
November1,03204
December1,38600

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 1.5 km from Beach. 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 USC00320590 (Beach). Public domain.