Bailey County climate

Bailey County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Muleshoe Ntl Wr, 13.6 km from Bailey County, elevation 3740 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Muleshoe Ntl Wr. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 28

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 11May 8May 5May 3May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
28°FApr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 30
24°FApr 21Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19Mar 13
20°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 27
16°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 10

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 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29
16°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10

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°F173168164161158155152147142
32°F194188184180177173169165159
28°F215208203199195192187181175
24°F239232226221215211207201193
20°F265258251246240236230223216
16°F292282275270265260255249241

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
4,087
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,284
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,793
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,360
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,093
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,995
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,059

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January85607
February662021
March511188
April27912222
May91110488
June3298745
July1371835
August2332795
September42140549
October23819276
November574157
December82909

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 13.6 km from Bailey 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 USC00416137 (Muleshoe Ntl Wr). Public domain.