Hughes County climate

Hughes County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Harrold 12 Ssw, 15.6 km from Hughes County, elevation 1701 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Harrold 12 Ssw. 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 May 17 and the first fall freeze around September 24, a growing season of about 129 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 27, first September 16
Median at 32°F
last May 17, first September 24
Median at 28°F
last May 8, first October 2

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°FJun 10Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 27May 24May 22May 18May 13
32°FMay 31May 27May 23May 21May 17May 15May 12May 9May 4
28°FMay 22May 17May 14May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 25
24°FMay 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 15
20°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 3
16°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24

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 1Sep 6Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28
32°FSep 10Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6
28°FSep 18Sep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14
24°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 24
20°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1
16°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10

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°F1291231181141101071039888
32°F146140136132129125121116109
28°F166159154150146142138133126
24°F184177172167164160156149142
20°F202195190185181176172167160
16°F222214209204200196191185175

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
8,161
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
657
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,378
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,395
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,533
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,783
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,156

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,54400
February1,26300
March1,03908
April656147
May33020214
June78105478
July15250700
August29206642
September17673363
October594378
November1,01603
December1,42300

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 15.6 km from Hughes County. 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 USC00393608 (Harrold 12 Ssw). Public domain.