Uintah County climate

Uintah County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ouray 4NE, 10.7 km from Uintah County, elevation 4674 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ouray 4NE. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 13

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 2May 27May 23May 19May 16May 13May 10May 6May 2
32°FMay 16May 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5
24°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
20°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 11Mar 7
16°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24

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 12Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5
32°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 25
24°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
20°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 11Nov 15Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24

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°F148143138135131127122118111
32°F169163159155152149146140134
28°F192186181177173170165161153
24°F218211206202197193189185178
20°F244237231227222218214209201
16°F264258253249245241237231224

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
6,773
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
906
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,259
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,125
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,124
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,255
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,518

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49200
February1,08800
March730013
April432197
May17232334
June26180605
July1363828
August3270732
September9359419
October469194
November90003
December1,36700

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 Uintah 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 USC00426568 (Ouray 4NE). Public domain.