Benavides climate

Benavides Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Benavides 2, 0.8 km from Benavides, elevation 380 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Benavides 2. 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 February 20 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 286 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 5, first November 18
Median at 32°F
last February 20, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last January 29, first December 18

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°FMar 28Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 6
32°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 2Feb 27Feb 20Feb 12Feb 3Jan 27Jan 18
28°FMar 5Feb 27Feb 16Feb 5Jan 29Jan 22Jan 15Jan 3Dec 19
24°FMar 3Feb 19Feb 6Jan 26Jan 18Jan 9Jan 3Dec 26Dec 13
20°FMar 2Feb 9Jan 21Jan 10Jan 7Jan 4Dec 31Dec 21Dec 9
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3Dec 11
32°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 21Jan 1
28°FNov 19Nov 28Dec 5Dec 11Dec 18Dec 25Jan 1Jan 10Jan 27
24°FNov 30Dec 10Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 16Feb 1Feb 18
20°FDec 8Dec 15Dec 29Jan 2Jan 5Jan 8Jan 16Feb 4Mar 1
16°F–––––––––

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°F291278271264259253248241229
32°F326312303295286279271264252
28°F365352340332323314305295279
24°F365365365365361352341328308
20°F365365365365365365365365357
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
99% of years
28°F or colder
89% of years
24°F or colder
53% of years
20°F or colder
16% of years
16°F or colder
3% 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
1,067
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,672
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,746
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,954
Growing degree days, base 50°F
8,218
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,573
Growing degree days, base 60°F
5,049

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January31228235
February19155308
March101135507
April20254684
May1452916
June05701,020
July06321,097
August06491,114
September0486936
October21280724
November12798432
December29533245

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 0.8 km from Benavides. 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 USC00410690 (Benavides 2). Public domain.