Presidio County climate

Presidio County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Candelaria, 45.2 km from Presidio County, elevation 2877 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Candelaria. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around November 15, a growing season of about 241 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 5
Median at 32°F
last March 17, first November 15
Median at 28°F
last February 27, first November 26

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 28Apr 21Apr 14Apr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 12
32°FApr 15Apr 4Mar 30Mar 23Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 23
28°FMar 31Mar 17Mar 10Mar 4Feb 27Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6Jan 29
24°FMar 7Feb 25Feb 15Feb 6Feb 1Jan 27Jan 22Jan 14Jan 7
20°FFeb 20Feb 6Jan 30Jan 22Jan 15Jan 8Jan 3Dec 29Dec 17
16°FFeb 9Feb 1Jan 22Jan 14Jan 6Jan 3Dec 30Dec 24Dec 16

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

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°F241233226219213208203196185
32°F268260253246241234228220208
28°F308296287279272265257249236
24°F350338330322314306299290277
20°F365365363357350343335325310
16°F365365365365365365365359344

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
28% 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
1,501
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,157
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,790
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,998
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,286
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,723
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,345

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January448186
February2458197
March11844393
April24168594
May1429893
June06151,065
July06451,110
August06081,073
September1436885
October26192631
November21513259
December4241100

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 45.2 km from Presidio 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 USC00411416 (Candelaria). Public domain.