Bandera climate

Bandera Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Medina 1NE, 19.3 km from Bandera, elevation 1712 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Medina 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 March 16 and the first fall freeze around November 15, a growing season of about 244 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 2, first November 5
Median at 32°F
last March 16, first November 15
Median at 28°F
last March 2, first November 29

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

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°F244234228222217212207200191
32°F273262256250244238232225216
28°F305292284277272266260253244
24°F343332322313306299290281270
20°F365365360351343334326313299
16°F365365365365365365364351336

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
96% of years
20°F or colder
72% of years
16°F or colder
32% 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
1,909
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,515
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,783
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,057
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,439
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,962
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,648

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January497391
February3487145
March19938325
April70103485
May10287742
June0457907
July05351,000
August05391,004
September3362808
October61152559
November25028263
December4715109

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 19.3 km from Bandera. 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 USC00415742 (Medina 1NE). Public domain.