Channing climate

Channing Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Channing 2, 0.1 km from Channing, elevation 3790 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Channing 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 April 18 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 3

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 12May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
32°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
28°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22
24°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8
20°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25
16°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 16Feb 8

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 3Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26
32°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16
24°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26
20°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 20

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°F188180176173169166161157150
32°F210203198193190185181176171
28°F231225219214210205202196189
24°F254247241235231227222216209
20°F278269263258253248243236226
16°F305295288282277271265259250

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
4,460
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,408
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,706
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,337
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,133
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,081
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,172

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January91403
February735011
March569282
April31815207
May10398466
June5303748
July1421885
August2364828
September44181589
October26824254
November601156
December90005

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 0.1 km from Channing. 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 USC00411649 (Channing 2). Public domain.