Saxton climate

Saxton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Altoona Blair CO AP, 11.1 km from Saxton, elevation 1480 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Altoona Blair 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first November 1

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 22May 16May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 11May 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
28°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
24°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16
20°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6
16°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22

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 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
32°FOct 5Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 4
28°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
24°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 17
16°FNov 20Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 25Dec 31

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°F174167163159155151146141134
32°F200192186181177173167162154
28°F225218213208203198193187179
24°F251243237232228224219214208
20°F276267262257252247241235227
16°F301292287281276271266260251

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
5,764
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
692
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,235
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,034
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,977
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,065
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,299

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13503
February96204
March815127
April4457120
May19347330
June37142555
July4232693
August12184637
September10869414
October38310156
November681033
December99007

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 11.1 km from Saxton. 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 USW00014736 (Altoona Blair CO AP). Public domain.