Red Oak climate

Red Oak Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wilburton 9 Ene, 8.4 km from Red Oak, elevation 635 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wilburton 9 Ene. 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 218 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 14, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 18, first November 15

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 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 27
32°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 12
28°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 2Feb 25
24°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 18Feb 8
20°FMar 13Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 20
16°FMar 4Feb 24Feb 14Feb 8Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 14Jan 4

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 12Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
32°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16Nov 21
28°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1
24°FNov 6Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16
20°FNov 18Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22Dec 29Jan 6
16°FDec 2Dec 11Dec 18Dec 24Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 14Jan 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°F219211206202197193188183177
32°F243234227222218212207201194
28°F270259253246240234228222214
24°F297288280273267261255248240
20°F329319310304297290283273263
16°F365351343335328319311303292

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
90% 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
3,131
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,984
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,230
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,681
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,281
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,035
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,936

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January755026
February559149
March38110170
April15948349
May27175612
June1365814
July0521985
August0490954
September13280717
October12683431
November42011138
December689137

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 8.4 km from Red Oak. 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 USC00349634 (Wilburton 9 Ene). Public domain.