Bardwell climate

Bardwell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bardwell 2 E, 1.8 km from Bardwell, elevation 410 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bardwell 2 E. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 204 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last March 23, first November 7

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 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
32°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 18
28°FApr 11Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 2
24°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 18
20°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6
16°FMar 9Mar 1Feb 25Feb 20Feb 14Feb 9Feb 5Jan 31Jan 20

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 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31
32°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 12
28°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 25
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 8
20°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 26
16°FNov 20Nov 28Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20Dec 27Jan 2Jan 13

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°F202196191187184179176171165
32°F229219214209204201197191184
28°F257247241234230224219213205
24°F281273265259253248243236227
20°F308298290284278272265257246
16°F334324316309303297290281270

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
99% 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
4,025
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,575
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,214
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,796
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,528
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,399
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,412

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January914014
February721018
March4927116
April22824272
May56137546
June3331778
July0445910
August1396860
September27195618
October21737305
November544377
December821015

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 1.8 km from Bardwell. 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 USC00150402 (Bardwell 2 E). Public domain.