Bushland climate

Bushland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bushland 1 Wsw, 1.5 km from Bushland, elevation 3819 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bushland 1 Wsw. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 31

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 11May 8May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
32°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10
28°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 11
20°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28
16°FMar 23Mar 15Mar 9Mar 5Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 20Feb 12

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 29Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
28°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21
20°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1
16°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16

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°F180174171167164161158153146
32°F199193189185182179175171165
28°F220215209205201197194189182
24°F244237231226221217212207200
20°F268260254249244240235229220
16°F296286279273268263257251241

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
4,445
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,231
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,533
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,146
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,922
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,874
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,979

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January90204
February722020
March559171
April3379180
May11691446
June6271715
July0364829
August3328790
September43144552
October26823261
November614048
December87607

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 1.5 km from Bushland. 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 USC00411267 (Bushland 1 Wsw). Public domain.