Crosby County climate

Crosby County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Crosbyton, 6.5 km from Crosby County, elevation 3010 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Crosbyton. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 213 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 22, 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 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
32°FApr 22Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25Mar 18
28°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3
24°FMar 31Mar 22Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20
20°FMar 15Mar 10Mar 4Mar 1Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 10Feb 1
16°FMar 6Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15Feb 9Feb 3Jan 29Jan 19Jan 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 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
32°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18
28°FOct 28Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29
24°FNov 5Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10
20°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 14Dec 19Dec 28
16°FNov 26Dec 3Dec 10Dec 15Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 9Jan 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°F213206201197193189184179173
32°F236227222217213209204199192
28°F261252245240234229223217210
24°F284276270264259254247241232
20°F315303296289284278272265255
16°F352340331323316308302293283

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
97% 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
3,417
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,796
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,847
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,328
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,958
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,745
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,694

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January773017
February594145
March4158155
April19443322
May53180594
June2362810
July0468933
August1444908
September22231659
October16457377
November4614115
December738023

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 6.5 km from Crosby 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 USC00412121 (Crosbyton). Public domain.