Carrollton climate

Carrollton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dallas Love Fld, 11.8 km from Carrollton, elevation 440 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dallas Love Fld. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around November 29, a growing season of about 272 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 14, first November 16
Median at 32°F
last March 2, first November 29
Median at 28°F
last February 18, first December 12

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 4Mar 29Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25
32°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 10
28°FMar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 13Feb 6Jan 30Jan 21
24°FMar 2Feb 21Feb 14Feb 7Jan 31Jan 26Jan 20Jan 12Dec 31
20°FFeb 20Feb 10Feb 2Jan 27Jan 20Jan 15Jan 7Jan 1Dec 24
16°FFeb 11Feb 3Jan 26Jan 18Jan 12Jan 7Jan 3Dec 31Dec 22

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 30Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3
32°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 18
28°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7Dec 12Dec 17Dec 23Dec 30Jan 8
24°FDec 3Dec 9Dec 17Dec 23Dec 29Jan 3Jan 9Jan 18Feb 1
20°FDec 13Dec 22Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 12Jan 19Jan 31Feb 9
16°FDec 18Dec 29Jan 2Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 22Feb 2Feb 7

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°F273264257253247242236229220
32°F299289283277272266260255246
28°F333320311304298293286279269
24°F365355346338332323314304294
20°F365365365365364354346337324
16°F365365365365365365365365352

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
99% of years
24°F or colder
89% of years
20°F or colder
52% of years
16°F or colder
18% 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
1,992
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,125
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,339
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,635
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,039
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,584
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,276

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January537488
February37611142
March21347325
April65128515
May6330789
June0548997
July06911,156
August06901,154
September2454901
October56183595
November25034269
December4876107

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 11.8 km from Carrollton. 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 USW00013960 (Dallas Love Fld). Public domain.