Choctaw climate

Choctaw Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Spencer 2ENE Mesonet, 8.2 km from Choctaw, elevation 1223 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Spencer 2ENE 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 April 2 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 217 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 12, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 17, first November 13

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 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 26
32°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 12
28°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28
24°FMar 25Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 27Feb 23Feb 16
20°FMar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 14Feb 6Jan 28
16°FMar 4Feb 26Feb 20Feb 15Feb 9Feb 3Jan 29Jan 21Jan 6

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 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
32°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 20
28°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
24°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13
20°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23Jan 1
16°FNov 30Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18Dec 24Dec 29Jan 4Jan 12Jan 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°F219212207201197193189183175
32°F243235227221217212208204194
28°F266257250245239235229222212
24°F292283276270265258252246236
20°F321310303297291284278271260
16°F350339331323316310304297285

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
96% 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
3,440
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,980
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,053
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,543
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,172
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,958
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,894

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January790023
February616256
March41317172
April19649326
May53168581
June1368817
July0528993
August0493957
September19265696
October16783397
November4446126
December741029

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 Choctaw. 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 USC00348390 (Spencer 2ENE Mesonet). Public domain.