Francis climate

Francis Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kamas, 3.7 km from Francis, elevation 6481 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kamas. 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 June 5 and the first fall freeze around September 17, a growing season of about 100 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 5, first September 17
Median at 28°F
last May 19, first September 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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 23Jun 17Jun 13Jun 9Jun 5Jun 2May 30May 25May 20
28°FJun 6Jun 1May 28May 23May 19May 14May 10May 5May 1
24°FMay 21May 14May 9May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19Apr 14
20°FMay 4Apr 27Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29
16°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 16Mar 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°F–––––––––
32°FSep 1Sep 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 27Oct 1
28°FSep 11Sep 17Sep 21Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 12
24°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21Oct 25
20°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 6
16°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17

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°F968985817772696354
32°F12111511010410096928780
28°F152145140135130125120114105
24°F183176170165161156150143134
20°F213206200196190185179174164
16°F241231224220215210204198190

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
7,589
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
193
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,513
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,525
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,709
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,048
Growing degree days, base 60°F
538

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24000
February1,04200
March90102
April672016
May4411102
June18418293
July33100532
August4469490
September2415235
October614038
November93802
December1,24000

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 3.7 km from Francis. 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 USC00424467 (Kamas). Public domain.