Dawson County climate

Dawson County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lamesa 1 Sse, 2.3 km from Dawson County, elevation 2965 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lamesa 1 Sse. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 212 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 4, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 19, first November 13

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 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
32°FApr 22Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 16
28°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28
24°FMar 23Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15
20°FMar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 20Feb 16Feb 10Feb 3Jan 27
16°FMar 3Feb 24Feb 15Feb 8Feb 3Jan 30Jan 23Jan 13Jan 2

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 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
32°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15
28°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28
24°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9
20°FNov 17Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Jan 1
16°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 13Dec 19Dec 23Dec 29Jan 3Jan 11Jan 28

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°F212206200195192187184178172
32°F235226220216212207202197188
28°F260253247241237231226221213
24°F289278272267262258252247236
20°F322309302295289282276269260
16°F363352341333325316306297286

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
91% 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
3,287
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,814
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,931
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,389
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,997
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,774
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,716

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January752016
February569042
March3965156
April17042339
May44192615
June2390838
July0473938
August0436900
September20225656
October15649372
November4602105
December721021

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 2.3 km from Dawson 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 USC00415013 (Lamesa 1 Sse). Public domain.