Garden City climate

Garden City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bear Lake SP, 1.9 km from Garden City, elevation 5928 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bear Lake SP. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 140 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 4, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 15

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 21Jun 15Jun 10Jun 7Jun 4Jun 1May 28May 21May 15
32°FJun 5May 31May 24May 19May 15May 11May 8May 4Apr 30
28°FMay 22May 13May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 15
24°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Mar 31
20°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15
16°FApr 7Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4

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 11Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6
32°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
20°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 20
16°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30

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°F1351261201161111061019587
32°F161155150145140135130123115
28°F187180176171167163158152142
24°F212206201196191187183178171
20°F236229224220216212207202193
16°F261253247243238232227222213

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
7,464
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
313
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,740
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,756
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,932
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,249
Growing degree days, base 60°F
705

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26000
February1,07900
March97200
April681016
May4131116
June17225311
July23155597
August28118555
September19515286
October569050
November89901
December1,17300

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 1.9 km from Garden City. 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 USC00420487 (Bear Lake SP). Public domain.