Table 4. Soil temperature regime and degree days (°d) at 2–3 cm depth inside and outside cushions.

		Nubra 5000 m		Tso Moriri 5600 m		Tso Moriri 5850 m
		in	out	in	out	in	out
Whole year	Tmean	−0.3	−3.4	−6.7	−6.4	−7.4	−7.4
	Tmax	20.2	16.2	19.2	15.2	16.2	17.2
	Tmin	−15.6	−15.5	−22.1	−20.5	−25.6	−26.1
	daily Tmean>0°C	8.4.–14.10.	5.5.–10.10.	5.6.–27.9.a	2.6.–5.10.b	20.6.–27.9.c	20.6.–24.9.d
	frost-free period	9.4.–10.10.	5.5.–9.10.	4.7.–25.8.	20.6.–4.9.	21.6.–3.9.	3.7.–2.9.
	°d (Tbase = 0°C)	1227	601	434	391	330	351
	°d (Tbase  = 3°C)	736	329	196	162	123	137
Growing season	Tmean	7.7	4.0	3.1	2.7	2.1	2.3
(15.V.–15.IX.)	Tmax	20.2	16.2	19.2	15.2	16.2	17.2
	Tmin	0.6	0.1	−10.0	−7.9	−8.9	−11.0
	°d (Tbase>0°C)	949	500	427	385	326	349
	°d (Tbase>3°C)	600	294	196	162	123	137

Measured in 3-hour intervals from 1.9.2009 to 31.8.2010. Values with the lowercase superscript letter indicate situation when there was even an earlier day with Tmean>0 on the beginning of the vegetation season (a - 2.6., b - 28.5., c - 6.5., d - 8.6.); these early days however were often followed by a significant period of days with Tmean<0, that is why a later date is used in the table so that it better represents the beginning of the vegetation season. During the frost-free period no freezing temperatures were recorded, even if mild soil freezing might have occurred.