Goodwell climate

Goodwell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Goodwell Rsch Stn, 1.6 km from Goodwell, elevation 3278 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Goodwell Rsch Stn. 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 April 24 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 29

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 14May 10May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
28°FApr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 27
24°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 13
20°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 1
16°FMar 30Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15

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 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 22
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
20°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
16°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13

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°F179173168163159156152148142
32°F195190185182178174170165159
28°F217210205201196192188183177
24°F240232225220216212207202194
20°F264256249243237233227222213
16°F287277270265260255249243233

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
4,673
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,380
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,577
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,234
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,051
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,020
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,130

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January95004
February776012
March598170
April34212184
May11988441
June9290732
July1424888
August3370832
September47172576
October28123251
November613155
December93405

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 1.6 km from Goodwell. 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 USC00343628 (Goodwell Rsch Stn). Public domain.