Wendover Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wendover AP Awos. 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 April 18 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 188 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last April 30, first October 14
- Median at 32°F
- last April 18, first October 23
- Median at 28°F
- last March 31, first November 1
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 15 | May 9 | May 6 | May 2 | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 23 | Apr 20 | Apr 15 |
| 32°F | May 5 | Apr 29 | Apr 25 | Apr 20 | Apr 18 | Apr 13 | Apr 9 | Apr 4 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Apr 20 | Apr 13 | Apr 7 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 28 | Mar 24 | Mar 20 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Mar 28 | Mar 22 | Mar 18 | Mar 14 | Mar 10 | Mar 7 | Mar 4 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 9 | Mar 6 | Mar 2 | Feb 28 | Feb 23 | Feb 20 | Feb 15 | Feb 9 |
| 16°F | Mar 2 | Feb 25 | Feb 19 | Feb 15 | Feb 12 | Feb 8 | Feb 4 | Feb 1 | Jan 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 185 | 179 | 174 | 170 | 166 | 161 | 156 | 151 | 143 |
| 32°F | 209 | 203 | 198 | 193 | 188 | 183 | 179 | 174 | 166 |
| 28°F | 234 | 227 | 223 | 218 | 214 | 209 | 204 | 199 | 190 |
| 24°F | 259 | 252 | 247 | 243 | 239 | 234 | 230 | 224 | 215 |
| 20°F | 286 | 278 | 273 | 268 | 263 | 259 | 255 | 248 | 240 |
| 16°F | 314 | 305 | 299 | 294 | 290 | 284 | 279 | 272 | 263 |
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
- 5,824
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,241
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 5,715
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,528
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 3,499
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,619
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,872
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,167 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 871 | 0 | 1 |
| March | 668 | 0 | 19 |
| April | 423 | 3 | 106 |
| May | 181 | 54 | 348 |
| June | 35 | 220 | 635 |
| July | 1 | 465 | 928 |
| August | 2 | 388 | 851 |
| September | 75 | 109 | 486 |
| October | 417 | 3 | 121 |
| November | 826 | 0 | 4 |
| December | 1,158 | 0 | 0 |
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 1.8 km from Wendover. 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 USW00024193 (Wendover AP Awos). Public domain.