Oakland climate

Oakland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Madill, 2.3 km from Oakland, elevation 770 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Madill. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 227 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 8, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 27, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 11, first November 19

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

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°F228219214209205201196191182
32°F253245239232227222216210202
28°F277268263258253247241234225
24°F304294287281276270265259250
20°F339326318309303296290283273
16°F365361350343334326317308296

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
3,019
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,298
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,659
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,094
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,668
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,393
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,270

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January740027
February553259
March36412187
April14458375
May28210647
June0431880
July05891,054
August05641,029
September10324763
October12097449
November38611158
December674141

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 2.3 km from Oakland. 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 USC00345468 (Madill). Public domain.