Canutillo climate

Canutillo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for La Tuna 1 S, 8 km from Canutillo, elevation 3870 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for La Tuna 1 S. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around November 20, a growing season of about 264 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 16, first November 10
Median at 32°F
last February 28, first November 20
Median at 28°F
last February 10, first December 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°FApr 8Apr 1Mar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28
32°FMar 17Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 15Feb 7
28°FMar 4Feb 26Feb 19Feb 15Feb 10Feb 5Feb 1Jan 27Jan 19
24°FFeb 15Feb 6Feb 1Jan 28Jan 23Jan 17Jan 10Jan 2Dec 24
20°FFeb 4Jan 29Jan 20Jan 13Jan 6Jan 2Dec 28Dec 20Dec 12
16°FFeb 5Jan 21Jan 15Jan 8Jan 5Dec 31Dec 28Dec 21Dec 14

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°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
32°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 3
28°FNov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18
24°FNov 29Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21Dec 26Jan 2Jan 11
20°FDec 7Dec 13Dec 18Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 15Jan 29
16°FDec 11Dec 17Dec 24Dec 29Jan 3Jan 7Jan 12Jan 20Feb 3

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°F259250245239234229224217209
32°F288280274269264259254249240
28°F321311305299294289283276267
24°F358350341335330324317310299
20°F365365365365363356350342332
16°F365365365365365365365365355

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
95% of years
20°F or colder
51% of years
16°F or colder
15% 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
2,360
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,436
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,247
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,546
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,001
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,647
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,465

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January601022
February396076
March2438244
April7872445
May5287747
June0523973
July05771,042
August0522987
September2347795
October6496500
November3503147
December621023

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 8 km from Canutillo. 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 USC00414931 (La Tuna 1 S). Public domain.