Childress climate

Childress Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Childress 2, 1.8 km from Childress, elevation 1920 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Childress 2. 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 April 3 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 217 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 12, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 21, first November 15

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 28Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29
32°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 15
28°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3
24°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16
20°FMar 15Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 13Feb 8Jan 30
16°FMar 4Feb 27Feb 20Feb 14Feb 9Feb 3Jan 30Jan 22Jan 6

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 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
32°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18
28°FOct 29Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1
24°FNov 8Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14
20°FNov 19Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23Dec 31
16°FNov 30Dec 6Dec 13Dec 19Dec 24Dec 30Jan 4Jan 13Jan 25

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°F218212207203199195190185179
32°F240232227222217213208203196
28°F265257251245240235229223214
24°F290280274269264258253245237
20°F322311302296290284278271261
16°F352340331324319312305298287

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
95% 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
3,274
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,170
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,344
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,808
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,414
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,174
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,094

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January750025
February593149
March40114172
April17757349
May44205627
June1415864
July05661,031
August0532996
September14295730
October15180409
November4266134
December716029

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 1.8 km from Childress. 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 USC00411694 (Childress 2). Public domain.