Foard County climate

Foard County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Copper Breaks SP, 15.6 km from Foard County, elevation 1475 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Copper Breaks SP. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 217 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 13, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 1, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 14, first November 14

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 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 25
32°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 16Mar 9
28°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1Feb 24
24°FMar 22Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 27Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12
20°FMar 9Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 14Feb 8Feb 1Jan 24
16°FMar 1Feb 22Feb 15Feb 7Feb 3Jan 30Jan 23Jan 15Jan 4

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 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
32°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 21
28°FOct 27Nov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 3
24°FNov 6Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 16
20°FNov 18Nov 24Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 19Dec 26Jan 3
16°FNov 27Dec 4Dec 12Dec 18Dec 22Dec 28Jan 3Jan 10Jan 26

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°F217209204200196192188183176
32°F244234228222217212207200191
28°F271261254247242236231224214
24°F295286278273268263256248239
20°F326314306300294288281273263
16°F356343335330322314307300290

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
93% 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
2,981
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,559
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,933
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,359
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,926
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,652
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,533

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January716028
February561150
March33121218
April13971392
May23269712
June0494943
July06451,110
August06081,072
September13348784
October12793441
November39810148
December671130

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 Foard County. 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 USC00411995 (Copper Breaks SP). Public domain.