Goliad climate

Goliad Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Goliad, 0.8 km from Goliad, elevation 142 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Goliad. 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 February 25 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 280 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 9, first November 18
Median at 32°F
last February 25, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last February 5, first December 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°FMar 31Mar 23Mar 17Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23Feb 14
32°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 20Feb 13Feb 1Jan 23
28°FMar 8Mar 1Feb 21Feb 14Feb 5Jan 29Jan 22Jan 9Dec 26
24°FFeb 27Feb 15Feb 4Jan 28Jan 20Jan 11Jan 4Dec 28Dec 14
20°FFeb 19Jan 31Jan 20Jan 13Jan 7Jan 3Dec 28Dec 17Dec 9
16°F–––––––––

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 31Nov 4Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8
32°FNov 6Nov 15Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 31
28°FNov 19Nov 29Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 22Jan 1Jan 7Jan 19
24°FNov 30Dec 7Dec 16Dec 25Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 21Feb 5
20°FDec 6Dec 11Dec 20Dec 29Jan 3Jan 6Jan 13Jan 20Feb 5
16°F–––––––––

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°F283274267261255249243236227
32°F317304296288280273267258246
28°F357342333324316307299288274
24°F365365365359351342334324307
20°F365365365365365365365358342
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
94% of years
24°F or colder
67% of years
20°F or colder
29% of years
16°F or colder
9% 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
1,162
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,270
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,248
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,461
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,732
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,106
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,610

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January34316196
February22032257
March11087449
April25198623
May2378840
June0511961
July05971,062
August06181,083
September0465915
October23258701
November13279407
December30631238

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 0.8 km from Goliad. 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 USC00413618 (Goliad). Public domain.