Saint Francis climate

Saint Francis Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kilgore 1NE, 21.8 km from Saint Francis, elevation 2905 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kilgore 1NE. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 141 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 21, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first September 29
Median at 28°F
last May 2, first October 7

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 1May 29May 26May 24May 21May 18May 15May 13May 8
32°FMay 23May 19May 15May 13May 10May 8May 5May 3Apr 29
28°FMay 14May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 17
24°FMay 7May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 5
20°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 25
16°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 15

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 4Sep 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 29Oct 2
32°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 13
28°FSep 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
24°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 30
20°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
16°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19

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°F139134129125121118114109102
32°F159153148144141137133128121
28°F178172166163159155151146139
24°F197190185181177173168163156
20°F218211206201197193189183176
16°F239231225220215211207201194

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
7,437
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
581
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,390
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,359
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,462
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,699
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,070

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32500
February1,12301
March949013
April641047
May33918207
June8699466
July15223673
August30183618
September18655340
October560286
November926010
December1,25800

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 21.8 km from Saint Francis. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00254432 (Kilgore 1NE). Public domain.