Hood County climate

Hood County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Granbury 5N, 10.5 km from Hood County, elevation 779 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Granbury 5N. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 228 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 5, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 24, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 10, first November 20

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 25Apr 19Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 23Mar 16
32°FApr 17Apr 8Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 2
28°FApr 2Mar 25Mar 18Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 19
24°FMar 17Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 8Jan 31
20°FMar 6Mar 1Feb 20Feb 14Feb 8Feb 2Jan 28Jan 20Jan 6
16°FFeb 23Feb 11Feb 3Jan 29Jan 23Jan 16Jan 10Jan 2Dec 22

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

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°F233224218213208203197192186
32°F255246240234228224219211203
28°F281273264259253247242235226
24°F313301291284278272267258248
20°F348335329321314306299290276
16°F365365360352344337330321309

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
96% of years
16°F or colder
74% 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
2,598
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,559
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,273
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,655
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,166
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,814
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,609

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January659252
February4646107
March29125250
April11786428
May20244690
June0471921
July06231,088
August05921,057
September4366811
October106123491
November33719199
December601372

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 10.5 km from Hood 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 USC00413675 (Granbury 5N). Public domain.