Sayre climate

Sayre Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elk City 4 W, 16.6 km from Sayre, elevation 2120 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elk City 4 W. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 208 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 25, first November 11

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 2Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
32°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 17
28°FApr 13Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 5
24°FApr 1Mar 26Mar 22Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22
20°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 7
16°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 17Feb 11Feb 6Jan 29Jan 17

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

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°F211204199194190186182177171
32°F232224218213208204199193186
28°F257248242236231226221213205
24°F280272264259252247242235227
20°F307297289282275270264257248
16°F338325316309304298290281270

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
99% 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
3,653
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,908
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,807
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,323
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,994
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,814
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,787

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January829012
February651132
March4517138
April21231293
May52157572
June2369817
July0532997
August0495959
September19261692
October17754363
November4803104
December779016

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 16.6 km from Sayre. 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 USC00342849 (Elk City 4 W). Public domain.