Farwell climate

Farwell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Clovis, 15.6 km from Farwell, elevation 4295 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Clovis. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 197 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first November 8

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 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 12
32°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 28
28°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19Mar 12
24°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
20°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 18Feb 9
16°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 8Feb 1Jan 24Jan 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 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30
32°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20
24°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16
16°FNov 17Nov 24Nov 30Dec 5Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23Dec 29Jan 8

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°F193189184180177174170166159
32°F217211206201197194191186178
28°F243235229224220215212206199
24°F269261255251246240234228221
20°F299288281274269263259251242
16°F342327317309303296288279265

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
98% 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
3,731
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,510
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,275
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,784
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,459
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,308
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,328

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January795012
February613026
March4622114
April24618255
May70126524
June2343790
July1428893
August1377841
September32186606
October21328306
November526179
December770014

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 15.6 km from Farwell. 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 USC00291939 (Clovis). Public domain.