Gholson climate

Gholson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Waco Rgnl AP, 9.2 km from Gholson, elevation 500 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Waco Rgnl AP. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around November 15, a growing season of about 245 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 31, first November 4
Median at 32°F
last March 15, first November 15
Median at 28°F
last March 2, first November 28

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

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 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 22
32°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
28°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11Dec 21
24°FNov 21Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 23Dec 29Jan 4Jan 14
20°FDec 4Dec 14Dec 23Dec 31Jan 3Jan 7Jan 14Jan 22Feb 6
16°FDec 18Jan 1Jan 3Jan 6Jan 10Jan 15Jan 21Jan 31Feb 12

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°F247236230224220215210205197
32°F273263257251245240234227219
28°F307294286279272266260253244
24°F342331323313306298290281270
20°F365365359350343336328317305
16°F365365365365365365365354341

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
75% of years
16°F or colder
30% 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
2,080
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,868
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,990
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,291
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,714
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,279
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,993

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January547380
February38510132
March23038301
April76114490
May9297753
June0507957
July06371,102
August06351,100
September3416862
October64171575
November26834258
December4987103

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 9.2 km from Gholson. 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 USW00013959 (Waco Rgnl AP). Public domain.