Gonzales climate

Gonzales Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pinnacles Nm, 23.6 km from Gonzales, elevation 1307 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pinnacles Nm. 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 April 23 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 28, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 12, first November 22

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 30Jun 17Jun 7Jun 2May 28May 23May 13May 3Apr 27
32°FJun 4May 23May 11Apr 30Apr 23Apr 16Apr 9Apr 3Mar 23
28°FApr 29Apr 8Apr 1Mar 22Mar 12Mar 3Feb 25Feb 15Jan 31
24°FMar 21Feb 28Feb 18Feb 5Jan 30Jan 20Jan 9Dec 31Dec 20
20°FFeb 14Jan 28Jan 18Jan 8Jan 2Dec 30Dec 24Dec 15Dec 3
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°FSep 1Sep 19Sep 30Oct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21Oct 27Nov 3
32°FOct 7Oct 19Oct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 22
28°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2Dec 7Dec 16
24°FNov 18Nov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18Dec 27Jan 3Jan 20
20°FNov 29Dec 6Dec 13Dec 19Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 14Jan 30
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°F17416215214413412511410386
32°F230217209199189180170154135
28°F300283272263252242230216191
24°F362347339331321311302287267
20°F365365365365365359350339328
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
100% of years
24°F or colder
90% of years
20°F or colder
44% of years
16°F or colder
7% 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
2,857
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
920
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,205
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,477
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,934
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,662
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,669

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January518048
February430065
March3851129
April2817195
May15144361
June45126531
July5257718
August4254715
September26173597
October12955394
November3474145
December536038

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 23.6 km from Gonzales. 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 USC00046926 (Pinnacles Nm). Public domain.