Gonzales climate

Gonzales Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gonzales 2S, 3.1 km from Gonzales, elevation 296 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gonzales 2S. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 28, a growing season of about 272 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 12, first November 16
Median at 32°F
last February 26, first November 28
Median at 28°F
last February 6, first December 12

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 1Mar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 19
32°FMar 21Mar 12Mar 6Mar 3Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 7Jan 30
28°FMar 6Feb 28Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6Feb 1Jan 26Jan 16Dec 31
24°FFeb 27Feb 15Feb 6Jan 31Jan 22Jan 13Jan 6Dec 30Dec 15
20°FFeb 14Feb 2Jan 26Jan 16Jan 10Jan 3Dec 31Dec 23Dec 13
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 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30Dec 5
32°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20
28°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 27Jan 4Jan 18
24°FNov 29Dec 7Dec 16Dec 24Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 20Feb 5
20°FDec 11Dec 20Dec 26Dec 31Jan 3Jan 8Jan 15Jan 24Feb 7
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°F277266259253248242236230221
32°F308295287279272267260252243
28°F350335327317307300292282269
24°F365365365357347337330319305
20°F365365365365365365365357339
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
96% of years
24°F or colder
66% of years
20°F or colder
25% of years
16°F or colder
4% 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
1,592
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,009
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,581
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,834
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,170
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,630
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,237

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January44010136
February30418188
March16564381
April47146550
May5340800
June0509958
July05941,059
August06111,076
September1432880
October42214639
November19558337
December39315167

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 3.1 km from Gonzales. 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 USC00413622 (Gonzales 2S). Public domain.