Palmhurst climate

Palmhurst Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for La Joya, 7.3 km from Palmhurst, elevation 213 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for La Joya. 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 January 23 and the first fall freeze around December 28, a growing season of about 340 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 11, first December 7
Median at 32°F
last January 23, first December 28
Median at 28°F
last January 7, first January 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°FMar 11Mar 3Feb 26Feb 17Feb 11Feb 4Jan 29Jan 21Jan 9
32°FFeb 27Feb 14Feb 4Jan 31Jan 23Jan 15Jan 8Jan 1Dec 22
28°FFeb 6Jan 31Jan 20Jan 11Jan 7Jan 3Dec 31Dec 26Dec 17
24°FJan 31Jan 13Jan 8Jan 7Jan 4Dec 31Dec 28Dec 23Dec 17
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20Dec 28Jan 7
32°FDec 2Dec 8Dec 15Dec 22Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 15Feb 1
28°FDec 13Dec 19Dec 26Dec 30Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 20Feb 1
24°FDec 16Dec 22Dec 27Dec 30Jan 2Jan 6Jan 7Jan 12Jan 22
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

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°F338328319310303296288279266
32°F365364355348340334327317305
28°F365365365365365365358350338
24°F365365365365365365365365365
20°F365365365365365365365365365
16°F365365365365365365365365365

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
99% of years
32°F or colder
79% of years
28°F or colder
39% of years
24°F or colder
11% of years
20°F or colder
1% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
796
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,875
Growing degree days, base 40°F
12,213
Growing degree days, base 45°F
10,409
Growing degree days, base 50°F
8,639
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,938
Growing degree days, base 60°F
5,343

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January25738283
February14679368
March65168572
April14278715
May1461925
June05821,032
July06221,087
August06481,113
September0498948
October9320777
November80129504
December22653317

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 7.3 km from Palmhurst. 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 USC00414911 (La Joya). Public domain.