Woodward climate

Woodward Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ft Supply 3SE, 17.8 km from Woodward, elevation 2030 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ft Supply 3SE. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 28

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 15May 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
32°FMay 5May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 8
28°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
24°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 18Mar 11
20°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1
16°FMar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 19

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°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21
32°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
20°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 29
16°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 11

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°F179173168164160157153146138
32°F198192186183179175170165158
28°F221214208203200196191185179
24°F243235230225221216212206199
20°F265256250245240236231225217
16°F285277271265260255250244235

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
100% 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
4,555
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,638
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,962
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,615
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,414
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,353
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,428

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January97205
February773013
March576490
April29823229
May93119494
June8328771
July1490955
August2433896
September43203612
October25934278
November602266
December93007

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 17.8 km from Woodward. 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 USC00343304 (Ft Supply 3SE). Public domain.