Snyder climate

Snyder Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wichita Mtn Wr, 23.4 km from Snyder, elevation 1665 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wichita Mtn Wr. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 224 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 9, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last March 28, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 11, first November 16

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

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°F223216211206201196191185177
32°F248240233228224218213207199
28°F274264258252247242237231222
24°F300289282275270265259254245
20°F333319311304297290283274265
16°F362350340333327319312304292

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
92% 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
3,226
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,196
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,404
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,863
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,464
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,220
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,130

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January764023
February586149
March38615183
April16254356
May36189619
June1415864
July05801,045
August15561,020
September18303735
October14076412
November4227132
December710027

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 23.4 km from Snyder. 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 USC00349629 (Wichita Mtn Wr). Public domain.