Lander climate

Lander Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lander Hunt Fld AP, 2 km from Lander, elevation 5592 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lander Hunt Fld AP. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 131 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 1, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 18, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 6

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 16Jun 11Jun 7Jun 4Jun 1May 30May 26May 23May 18
32°FJun 3May 29May 25May 21May 18May 16May 12May 9May 4
28°FMay 20May 14May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
24°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 6
20°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 23
16°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9

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 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29
32°FSep 13Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 10
28°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
24°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29
20°FOct 6Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 8
16°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16

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°F1261211161121071041009690
32°F151145140136131128123118112
28°F173166162157153149145139134
24°F196189183179174169165159151
20°F216210204200196192187181172
16°F240231225220215210205200190

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
7,711
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
485
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,091
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,089
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,237
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,526
Growing degree days, base 60°F
940

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,35500
February1,12100
March89905
April653030
May3855157
June12459391
July14214665
August25174614
September19533311
October607161
November98703
December1,34700

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 2 km from Lander. 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 USW00024021 (Lander Hunt Fld AP). Public domain.