Avenal climate

Avenal Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kettleman City, 15.2 km from Avenal, elevation 240 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kettleman City. 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 February 19 and the first fall freeze around November 29, a growing season of about 281 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 17, first November 15
Median at 32°F
last February 19, first November 29
Median at 28°F
last January 24, first December 12

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°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 6Feb 28Feb 20
32°FMar 15Mar 8Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 13Feb 7Jan 31Jan 21
28°FFeb 23Feb 11Feb 4Jan 31Jan 24Jan 18Jan 11Jan 3Dec 26
24°FJan 31Jan 24Jan 13Jan 7Jan 2Dec 31Dec 26Dec 21Dec 15
20°FJan 16Jan 11Jan 5Jan 1Dec 31Dec 29Dec 25Dec 22Dec 17
16°F–––––––––

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°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30
32°FNov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 17
28°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23Jan 2Jan 15
24°FDec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 22Dec 28Jan 1Jan 7Jan 16
20°FDec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 24Dec 28Dec 30Jan 1Jan 6Jan 14
16°F–––––––––

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°F271260254247242237230223215
32°F314302295287281274268261252
28°F357346337330324317309300289
24°F365365365365363355348339333
20°F365365365365365365365365357
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
93% of years
24°F or colder
49% of years
20°F or colder
14% of years
16°F or colder
2% 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
2,368
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,134
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,905
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,167
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,598
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,239
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,091

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January580019
February380083
March2705214
April14144354
May32184617
June3364812
July05611,026
August0522987
September4345792
October62105509
November3253155
December572030

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 15.2 km from Avenal. 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 USC00044534 (Kettleman City). Public domain.