Beaverdale climate

Beaverdale Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Johnstown Cambria CO AP, 11.6 km from Beaverdale, elevation 2284 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Johnstown Cambria CO 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 April 29 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 17, first November 2

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 24May 19May 16May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 22
32°FMay 17May 10May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14
28°FMay 5Apr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 1
24°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
20°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27

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 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 5
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
24°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29
20°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 11
16°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 17Dec 24

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°F173166161156152148143138131
32°F197190185180176172166160153
28°F220213208204200195190185177
24°F243235230226221218214209203
20°F266258252247242238233228222
16°F289280274268263258253246237

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
6,324
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
479
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,765
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,616
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,605
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,738
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,021

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20003
February1,01504
March889022
April5116102
May23332285
June5991482
July13165617
August24134575
September14745355
October4397131
November747025
December1,04805

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 11.6 km from Beaverdale. 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 USW00004726 (Johnstown Cambria CO AP). Public domain.