Bell climate

Bell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sallisaw 2 Nw, 35.6 km from Bell, elevation 660 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sallisaw 2 Nw. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around November 7, a growing season of about 223 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 9, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last March 30, first November 7
Median at 28°F
last March 15, first November 20

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 29Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24
32°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 10
28°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 25
24°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 13
20°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 15Feb 10Feb 4Jan 26
16°FMar 6Feb 28Feb 17Feb 11Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 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°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 13
32°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 26
28°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8
24°FNov 8Nov 16Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 20
20°FNov 21Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24Dec 31Jan 7
16°FDec 3Dec 11Dec 19Dec 24Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 13Jan 25

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°F223214209205200195190184176
32°F247239232227223218212206196
28°F274265258252247242236230220
24°F300290283277272267260254245
20°F329318310304298291284277267
16°F357345337331324317310302292

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
92% 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
3,549
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,833
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,803
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,310
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,968
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,776
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,730

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January840016
February631137
March4488138
April20236304
May51144559
June2346793
July0499964
August0471936
September16261695
October16162378
November4536118
December744029

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 35.6 km from Bell. 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 USC00347862 (Sallisaw 2 Nw). Public domain.