Kaufman climate

Kaufman Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Terrell Muni AP, 14 km from Kaufman, elevation 475 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Terrell Muni 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 11 and the first fall freeze around November 18, a growing season of about 250 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 24, first November 7
Median at 32°F
last March 11, first November 18
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first November 30

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

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°F252244237230225220215209202
32°F278267261255250245240233225
28°F309298290282276270265259248
24°F349336327319311304297288276
20°F365365362353346339331322308
16°F365365365365365365365353336

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
97% of years
20°F or colder
74% of years
16°F or colder
33% 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
2,211
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,738
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,746
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,067
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,511
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,101
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,841

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January574373
February4108120
March25031278
April9093456
May10286741
June0490940
July06201,085
August06251,089
September2400847
October70150547
November28126238
December524696

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 14 km from Kaufman. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00053911 (Terrell Muni AP). Public domain.