Kenedy County climate

Kenedy County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Armstrong 4SE, 12.7 km from Kenedy County, elevation 25 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Armstrong 4SE. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around December 5, a growing season of about 293 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 6, first November 24
Median at 32°F
last February 22, first December 5
Median at 28°F
last January 31, first December 22

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 27Mar 18Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 21Feb 8
32°FMar 14Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15Feb 7Jan 29Jan 19
28°FMar 8Mar 1Feb 21Feb 10Jan 31Jan 23Jan 15Jan 5Dec 22
24°FMar 2Feb 17Feb 3Jan 22Jan 12Jan 6Jan 2Dec 27Dec 17
20°FMar 2Feb 4Jan 15Jan 9Jan 6Jan 3Dec 30Dec 25Dec 18
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°FNov 5Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 18
32°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 20Dec 29Jan 6
28°FNov 25Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14Dec 22Jan 1Jan 5Jan 15Feb 4
24°FDec 5Dec 15Dec 23Jan 1Jan 3Jan 7Jan 14Feb 1Feb 19
20°FDec 10Dec 22Dec 29Jan 1Jan 3Jan 6Jan 10Jan 23Feb 25
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°F296283274268263258252244234
32°F333320310300293286278269256
28°F365357347338331321310301285
24°F365365365365365357346334311
20°F365365365365365365365365357
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
99% of years
28°F or colder
84% of years
24°F or colder
46% of years
20°F or colder
14% of years
16°F or colder
2% 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
853
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,861
Growing degree days, base 40°F
12,142
Growing degree days, base 45°F
10,338
Growing degree days, base 50°F
8,573
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,885
Growing degree days, base 60°F
5,314

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January27638264
February15681366
March84156540
April15278713
May1460924
June05711,021
July06121,077
August06291,094
September0505955
October10325780
November93133498
December21772341

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 12.7 km from Kenedy 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 USC00410345 (Armstrong 4SE). Public domain.