La Barge climate

La Barge Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for La Barge, 0.3 km from La Barge, elevation 6598 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for La Barge. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around September 4, a growing season of about 84 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 9, first September 4
Median at 28°F
last May 24, first September 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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 27Jun 21Jun 16Jun 13Jun 9Jun 6Jun 2May 31May 24
28°FJun 11Jun 5May 31May 28May 24May 20May 17May 14May 9
24°FMay 28May 20May 16May 13May 10May 8May 6May 2Apr 29
20°FMay 14May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16
16°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31

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°FAug 21Aug 26Aug 30Sep 1Sep 4Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 18
28°FSep 1Sep 5Sep 9Sep 12Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30
24°FSep 11Sep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 9
20°FSep 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20
16°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29

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°F777166625752484234
32°F1059993888480757062
28°F1331261201161111071029788
24°F155149145140136131127121113
20°F179172168164160156151146140
16°F203197193188184180176170163

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
9,504
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
90
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,860
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,010
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,305
Growing degree days, base 55°F
742
Growing degree days, base 60°F
331

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,59200
February1,33400
March1,06400
April77506
May518068
June2427232
July6254457
August10029395
September3591137
October746010
November1,16000
December1,55300

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 0.3 km from La Barge. 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 USC00485252 (La Barge). Public domain.