McCord climate

McCord Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ponca City Muni AP, 8.5 km from McCord, elevation 1000 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ponca City Muni AP. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 200 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 21, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 5

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°FMay 5May 1Apr 27Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 4
32°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25
28°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 11
24°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28
20°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 26Feb 22Feb 15
16°FMar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 24Feb 19Feb 14Feb 8Jan 31

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

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°F201194189184179175171165158
32°F222214209204200196192186178
28°F246237231227222217212207200
24°F269260253248243238233227219
20°F290282276270265259254248240
16°F317307299293287281275269260

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
3,958
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,940
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,658
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,229
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,948
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,806
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,804

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January902010
February698132
March4909127
April23439285
May62158562
June2381829
July05381,003
August0493958
September25256681
October20059347
November512598
December832016

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 8.5 km from McCord. 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 USW00013969 (Ponca City Muni AP). Public domain.