Stratford climate

Stratford Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Byars 3ESE Mesonet, 7.1 km from Stratford, elevation 1131 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Byars 3ESE Mesonet. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 228 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 25, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 10, first November 18

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 25Apr 20Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
32°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 3
28°FMar 31Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20
24°FMar 17Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 3
20°FMar 7Mar 1Feb 24Feb 19Feb 14Feb 9Feb 2Jan 29Jan 20
16°FFeb 26Feb 17Feb 11Feb 5Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 15Jan 2

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

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°F230222215211205201196190183
32°F254245240234228223217212202
28°F276268263258253247241235225
24°F304295288281277272265258248
20°F333325316310303297290282272
16°F364351341335330323315307296

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
3,189
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,027
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,281
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,736
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,327
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,071
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,970

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January753028
February578365
March39315177
April16150354
May43175598
June0377826
July0519984
August0520985
September16272707
October14687417
November3998151
December699137

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 7.1 km from Stratford. 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 USC00341283 (Byars 3ESE Mesonet). Public domain.