Elsinore climate

Elsinore Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Richfield Radio Ksvc, 10.7 km from Elsinore, elevation 5285 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Richfield Radio Ksvc. 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 May 21 and the first fall freeze around September 24, a growing season of about 125 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 5, first September 16
Median at 32°F
last May 21, first September 24
Median at 28°F
last May 7, first October 4

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°FJun 25Jun 19Jun 13Jun 9Jun 5Jun 3May 30May 26May 20
32°FJun 7Jun 2May 29May 25May 21May 17May 13May 10May 4
28°FMay 22May 17May 12May 10May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
24°FMay 9May 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
20°FApr 28Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 27Mar 17
16°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 26Mar 18Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 19

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°FSep 3Sep 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28
32°FSep 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6
28°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14Oct 18
24°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 31
20°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
16°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22

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°F12111410910410096918578
32°F146139134129125120115109101
28°F170162157153149146142137130
24°F193186181177173169164159151
20°F226217210205200196190183175
16°F267258251244239232225217207

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
6,072
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
519
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,682
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,512
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,528
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,705
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,038

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11600
February85401
March702012
April515057
May28110220
June6785469
July4223684
August7171629
September12731359
October470190
November80107
December1,12800

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 10.7 km from Elsinore. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00427260 (Richfield Radio Ksvc). Public domain.