Fritch climate

Fritch Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sanford Dam, 8.7 km from Fritch, elevation 2936 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sanford Dam. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 187 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first November 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°FMay 15May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
32°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5
28°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24
24°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 15Mar 9
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25
16°FMar 23Mar 14Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 11

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

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°F186179175171167162158153146
32°F205199195191187182178173166
28°F227219215210206202196191184
24°F250242235231226221216211202
20°F272264258252248243238232223
16°F299289283278271266260252245

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
4,149
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,739
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,283
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,866
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,609
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,511
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,557

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January87707
February716022
March527497
April27924243
May88136517
June5357802
July0499964
August1441905
September31230650
October22145317
November554276
December85109

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 8.7 km from Fritch. 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 USC00418040 (Sanford Dam). Public domain.