Gonzalez climate

Gonzalez Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pensacola 7 Nne, 10.5 km from Gonzalez, elevation 114 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pensacola 7 Nne. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around December 9, a growing season of about 299 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 2, first November 24
Median at 32°F
last February 17, first December 9
Median at 28°F
last January 31, first January 2

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°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 8
32°FMar 13Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22Feb 17Feb 10Feb 3Jan 30Jan 20
28°FMar 1Feb 19Feb 10Feb 3Jan 31Jan 28Jan 21Jan 13Jan 4
24°FFeb 12Feb 3Jan 31Jan 28Jan 21Jan 16Jan 10Jan 5Dec 30
20°FFeb 6Jan 31Jan 28Jan 23Jan 18Jan 14Jan 9Jan 5Jan 2
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°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7Dec 21
32°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9Dec 18Dec 27Jan 2Jan 12
28°FDec 2Dec 11Dec 21Dec 28Jan 2Jan 6Jan 11Jan 18Feb 1
24°FDec 16Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 8Jan 13Jan 18Jan 25Feb 2
20°FJan 1Jan 3Jan 5Jan 8Jan 11Jan 16Jan 21Jan 27Feb 2
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°F299288278271265259253247239
32°F333322313305299290284275264
28°F365356345337332327318309298
24°F365365365365364353343334323
20°F365365365365365365365365343
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
99% of years
28°F or colder
86% of years
24°F or colder
56% of years
20°F or colder
21% of years
16°F or colder
5% 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
1,440
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,765
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,469
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,691
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,987
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,412
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,000

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4257140
February27113194
March14443369
April39128539
May1334798
June0476925
July05471,012
August05391,004
September0429879
October38198625
November18734307
December33518195

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 10.5 km from Gonzalez. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00086999 (Pensacola 7 Nne). Public domain.