Matherville climate

Matherville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Aledo, 13.4 km from Matherville, elevation 730 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Aledo. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 181 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 29

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°FMay 16May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
28°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
24°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 14
20°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5
16°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 25

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 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
28°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22
20°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3
16°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12

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°F178171166162159155151146140
32°F199193188184181176172167160
28°F219213208204200195191187180
24°F244236229225220216212208200
20°F264256251246242237233228219
16°F282273267262258254249244236

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
6,309
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
885
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,378
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,231
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,205
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,303
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,527

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32800
February1,08402
March830127
April4555113
May17860357
June22194622
July2283745
August6232691
September9697454
October39312165
November768026
December1,14702

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 13.4 km from Matherville. 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 USC00110072 (Aledo). Public domain.