Brownsdale climate

Brownsdale Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Austin Waste Wtp Facility, 12.7 km from Brownsdale, elevation 1199 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Austin Waste Wtp Facility. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 17

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 21May 16May 13May 10May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26
32°FMay 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 14
28°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
24°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
20°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9

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 14Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 10
32°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
24°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
20°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27

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°F158152148144141137134129121
32°F178171167162158155151147140
28°F200193189184180176172166159
24°F220212208204200196191187180
20°F238231226222218213209204197
16°F254247241237233229224218209

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
7,964
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
565
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,461
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,450
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,548
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,760
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,093

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,59200
February1,32300
March1,056010
April601260
May26331262
June45132537
July13199651
August27142580
September17254346
October535594
November95709
December1,38100

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 12.7 km from Brownsdale. 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 USC00210355 (Austin Waste Wtp Facility). Public domain.