Solomon climate

Solomon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Abilene, 13.7 km from Solomon, elevation 1187 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Abilene. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first November 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°FMay 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
32°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 3Mar 30
28°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 17
24°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26
16°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15

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 29Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 28
32°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26
20°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 21

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°F191183178174170166162157149
32°F211205200195190186182177169
28°F234226220216211206201196188
24°F254246241236231226221215207
20°F275267261256251246241236225
16°F300290283277272266262256248

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
4,491
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,803
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,218
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,864
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,647
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,566
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,619

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00902
February787018
March555798
April26531256
May83138523
June4367813
July0524989
August1458922
September33230647
October23946306
November585368
December93106

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 13.7 km from Solomon. 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 USC00140010 (Abilene). Public domain.