McCamey climate

McCamey Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mccamey, 0.4 km from McCamey, elevation 2461 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mccamey. 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 March 12 and the first fall freeze around November 16, a growing season of about 247 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 29, first November 7
Median at 32°F
last March 12, first November 16
Median at 28°F
last March 1, first November 27

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

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 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 24
32°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3
28°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16
24°FNov 20Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16Dec 22Dec 29Jan 6
20°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 12Dec 20Dec 27Jan 2Jan 7Jan 18Feb 1
16°FDec 5Dec 13Dec 21Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 16Jan 24Feb 1

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°F249240233228223218213208200
32°F273263258252247243237230222
28°F299290282276271265260254245
24°F340327318311303296290281270
20°F365365359351342334325316301
16°F365365365365365365361350334

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
76% of years
16°F or colder
36% 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
2,118
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,855
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,949
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,253
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,676
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,241
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,967

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January569057
February3824125
March21036319
April61140532
May10360815
June0546996
July06141,079
August05981,063
September5383828
October64158565
November28416227
December535070

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 0.4 km from McCamey. 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 USC00415707 (Mccamey). Public domain.