Odessa climate

Odessa Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mecklenburg 4SW, 12 km from Odessa, elevation 1510 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mecklenburg 4SW. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 150 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 23, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 24

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 4May 31May 29May 26May 23May 20May 16May 13May 7
32°FMay 26May 20May 16May 13May 10May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 13May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 13
24°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
20°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
16°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 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 12Sep 17Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
32°FSep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 25
28°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 19Oct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3
16°FNov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15

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°F146139134130125121117113107
32°F173164159154150146141136129
28°F199191185181176171165159152
24°F225218213208203199193186179
20°F247239235231227223219214208
16°F267260255249246241237232227

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
7,445
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
317
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,993
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,965
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,073
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,324
Growing degree days, base 60°F
729

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32301
February1,15201
March1,08008
April669243
May34017195
June11959392
July36118547
August5785493
September20033293
October518387
November815013
December1,13601

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 km from Odessa. 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 USC00305233 (Mecklenburg 4SW). Public domain.