Goshen County climate

Goshen County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lingle 2WSW, 5.6 km from Goshen County, elevation 4158 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lingle 2WSW. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around September 22, a growing season of about 122 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 3, first September 13
Median at 32°F
last May 20, first September 22
Median at 28°F
last May 9, first October 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FJun 18Jun 13Jun 9Jun 6Jun 3May 31May 28May 24May 20
32°FJun 7May 31May 28May 23May 20May 17May 15May 11May 8
28°FMay 22May 17May 14May 11May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 27
24°FMay 10May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
20°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 29
16°FApr 22Apr 15Apr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 15

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°FAug 28Sep 2Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24
32°FSep 8Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Oct 2
28°FSep 18Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11
24°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20
20°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
16°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7

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°F11911310910410197928679
32°F140135130126122118114109101
28°F161155151147144141137132125
24°F183176172168164160157152147
20°F205197192188184180176171164
16°F226218213208204200195189181

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
7,055
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
483
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,278
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,223
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,326
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,575
Growing degree days, base 60°F
960

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19500
February1,03002
March862010
April601145
May34811184
June8276445
July9206661
August27155593
September18435316
October594064
November92403
December1,19901

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 5.6 km from Goshen 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 USC00485612 (Lingle 2WSW). Public domain.