Goldthwaite climate

Goldthwaite Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Goldthwaite 1 Wsw, 2.1 km from Goldthwaite, elevation 1507 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Goldthwaite 1 Wsw. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around November 11, a growing season of about 234 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 3
Median at 32°F
last March 23, first November 11
Median at 28°F
last March 8, first November 21

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 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 16
32°FApr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3
28°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18
24°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 4Jan 27
20°FMar 6Feb 28Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 20Jan 7
16°FFeb 28Feb 15Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 14Jan 6Dec 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 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 17
32°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28
28°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10
24°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19Dec 27
20°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 11Dec 18Dec 23Dec 30Jan 4Jan 12Jan 23
16°FDec 8Dec 20Dec 28Jan 3Jan 8Jan 13Jan 21Jan 31Feb 11

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°F234227221216212208204198191
32°F259251245239234229224218210
28°F285275269263258253247241233
24°F319306299293287281274266256
20°F355340331324316309301295282
16°F365365365356346339333324309

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
95% of years
16°F or colder
70% 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
2,372
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,281
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,175
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,513
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,974
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,582
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,347

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January605159
February4363105
March27518250
April9981439
May16230679
June0411861
July0521986
August0530995
September5343787
October83125514
November30417220
December548181

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 2.1 km from Goldthwaite. 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 USC00413614 (Goldthwaite 1 Wsw). Public domain.