Atoka County climate

Atoka County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lane 1WNW Mesonet, 8.2 km from Atoka County, elevation 593 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lane 1WNW Mesonet. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 222 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 10, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last March 29, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 12, first November 14

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 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30Mar 23
32°FApr 17Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 7
28°FApr 3Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 24
24°FMar 18Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 13Feb 2
20°FMar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 26Jan 16
16°FMar 1Feb 16Feb 8Feb 3Jan 29Jan 24Jan 19Jan 9Dec 27

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 13Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
32°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 20
28°FOct 29Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3
24°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18
20°FNov 20Nov 27Dec 2Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23Jan 1Jan 7
16°FDec 4Dec 12Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 4Jan 11Jan 19Feb 2

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°F220212207203198194189184177
32°F245238232227222217213205196
28°F273263256251246241237230220
24°F304293286278273267260254244
20°F339328320311304297291283270
16°F365361352344337331324314302

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
84% 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
3,041
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,028
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,342
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,770
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,350
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,089
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,978

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January739023
February540367
March36414183
April15744347
May37170599
June0393843
July0511976
August0500965
September8297739
October13785419
November3899149
December669139

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 8.2 km from Atoka County. 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 USC00345020 (Lane 1WNW Mesonet). Public domain.