Gillis climate

Gillis Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Moss Bluff 2 Nnw, 4.1 km from Gillis, elevation 25 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Moss Bluff 2 Nnw. 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 March 2 and the first fall freeze around November 25, a growing season of about 267 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 20, first November 12
Median at 32°F
last March 2, first November 25
Median at 28°F
last February 11, first December 10

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°FApr 11Apr 4Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9Mar 2Feb 22
32°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 13Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 10Jan 30
28°FMar 13Mar 4Feb 26Feb 19Feb 11Feb 3Jan 30Jan 24Jan 11
24°FMar 1Feb 16Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 15Jan 5Dec 25
20°FFeb 13Feb 3Jan 31Jan 26Jan 20Jan 14Jan 9Jan 3Dec 26
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°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
32°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 21
28°FNov 15Nov 24Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 19Dec 27Jan 4Jan 15
24°FDec 1Dec 8Dec 17Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 17Feb 3
20°FDec 19Dec 30Jan 2Jan 5Jan 10Jan 13Jan 19Feb 1Feb 6
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°F268257250244237232226220210
32°F306292282273267261254247237
28°F345334324314306297288277264
24°F365365359349341334326316299
20°F365365365365365365365351336
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
97% of years
24°F or colder
75% of years
20°F or colder
33% of years
16°F or colder
8% 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
1,609
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,680
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,226
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,472
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,811
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,281
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,897

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January43413145
February29320199
March17257363
April53119517
May5315775
June0472922
July05351,000
August0530995
September0395844
October46165585
November21742295
December38917171

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 4.1 km from Gillis. 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 USC00166434 (Moss Bluff 2 Nnw). Public domain.