Archer County climate

Archer County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Archer City 2W, 3.6 km from Archer County, elevation 1001 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Archer City 2W. 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 10, a growing season of about 231 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 25, first November 10
Median at 28°F
last March 9, first November 21

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 23Apr 19Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 20
32°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 10Mar 4
28°FMar 30Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19
24°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 9Jan 31
20°FMar 7Mar 1Feb 24Feb 16Feb 10Feb 4Jan 29Jan 23Jan 12
16°FFeb 27Feb 15Feb 7Feb 1Jan 27Jan 20Jan 13Jan 3Dec 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°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 15
32°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
28°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6
24°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 22
20°FNov 25Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22Dec 28Jan 4Jan 15
16°FDec 4Dec 12Dec 18Dec 25Dec 31Jan 5Jan 10Jan 21Feb 4

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°F231223217212208203199193184
32°F257249243238231225220214206
28°F281273266260256251245237228
24°F313300294286280274268262253
20°F343333324317310304298289277
16°F365365354347340333325316304

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
82% 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
2,726
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,570
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,168
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,563
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,087
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,761
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,587

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January682040
February504375
March31921227
April11882420
May18261708
June0480930
July06201,085
August06151,080
September9357798
October100113484
November34417187
December632153

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 3.6 km from Archer 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 USC00410313 (Archer City 2W). Public domain.