Eddy County climate

Eddy County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mc Henry 3W, 24.7 km from Eddy County, elevation 1555 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mc Henry 3W. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 139 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 21, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 7

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

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 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1
32°FSep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 6Oct 10
28°FSep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
24°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29
20°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
16°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16

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°F138133130126122119116111105
32°F155150146142139136132127121
28°F174168163159156153149144138
24°F194187182178174171166161155
20°F212206201197194189185179174
16°F227221216213209206202197192

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
9,330
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
417
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,901
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,979
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,161
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,451
Growing degree days, base 60°F
861

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,77800
February1,48400
March1,23902
April725033
May34315202
June9078440
July27160598
August44127549
September22834281
October665254
November1,12402
December1,58600

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 24.7 km from Eddy County. 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 USC00325730 (Mc Henry 3W). Public domain.