Barnsdall climate

Barnsdall Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Barnsdall, 0.5 km from Barnsdall, elevation 770 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Barnsdall. 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 31 and the first fall freeze around October 31, a growing season of about 212 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 11, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last March 31, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last March 20, first November 8

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 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31Mar 28
32°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 20Mar 12
28°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28
24°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20
20°FMar 16Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 21Feb 15Feb 7
16°FMar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 13Feb 7Feb 1Jan 26

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 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
32°FOct 14Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
28°FOct 24Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 21Nov 27
24°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
20°FNov 8Nov 15Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21
16°FNov 21Nov 30Dec 5Dec 10Dec 14Dec 19Dec 23Dec 29Jan 5

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°F215206201196191186182177170
32°F236228222217212207203198190
28°F260251245239235230225218209
24°F280273267261256251246239229
20°F304294286281277270266258248
16°F330320312305300294288281271

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
99% 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
3,695
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,866
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,724
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,270
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,959
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,783
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,754

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January86909
February662128
March44411149
April18644321
May44152574
June2351799
July0525990
August0485950
September22238666
October18953346
November4846108
December794020

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 0.5 km from Barnsdall. 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 USC00340535 (Barnsdall). Public domain.