Temple climate

Temple Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Farmington, 5.5 km from Temple, elevation 405 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Farmington. 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 May 16 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 130 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 30, first September 16
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 5

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°FJun 10Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 30May 28May 24May 20May 15
32°FJun 1May 25May 22May 19May 16May 14May 10May 7May 3
28°FMay 19May 13May 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 26Apr 22
24°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8
20°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30
16°FApr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18

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

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°F1261201151121081051019690
32°F149144140134130126121117110
28°F174167162158155151146141134
24°F202195190185181176172167160
20°F226219215211207203198194187
16°F245239235232228224220215209

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
8,288
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
245
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,607
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,655
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,832
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,144
Growing degree days, base 60°F
605

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,51300
February1,30300
March1,13502
April716019
May3777143
June13242362
July39102529
August5973479
September24120247
October591147
November90605
December1,27700

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 5.5 km from Temple. 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 USC00172765 (Farmington). Public domain.