Kinney County climate

Kinney County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Brackettville, 3.7 km from Kinney County, elevation 1120 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Brackettville. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around November 24, a growing season of about 264 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 18, first November 12
Median at 32°F
last March 5, first November 24
Median at 28°F
last February 16, first December 6

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 5Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 26
32°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24Feb 17Feb 7
28°FMar 15Mar 7Mar 1Feb 23Feb 16Feb 10Feb 3Jan 27Jan 17
24°FMar 4Feb 18Feb 8Feb 2Jan 27Jan 20Jan 14Jan 4Dec 22
20°FFeb 18Feb 3Jan 27Jan 20Jan 14Jan 8Jan 2Dec 27Dec 16
16°FFeb 2Jan 21Jan 17Jan 12Jan 8Jan 4Dec 31Dec 26Dec 21

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 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Dec 2
32°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15
28°FNov 12Nov 21Nov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18Dec 26Jan 5
24°FNov 26Dec 4Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24Dec 30Jan 4Jan 11Jan 28
20°FDec 6Dec 15Dec 22Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 11Jan 18Feb 1
16°FDec 17Dec 23Dec 27Jan 2Jan 6Jan 10Jan 13Jan 18Jan 23

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°F268258251245239234228221212
32°F294283276271264259252245234
28°F331317307299291284278270258
24°F365356346338329321313303290
20°F365365365365363355347338324
16°F365365365365365365365364351

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
99% of years
24°F or colder
87% of years
20°F or colder
50% of years
16°F or colder
19% 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
1,506
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,985
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,634
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,871
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,188
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,629
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,222

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4363124
February27915198
March13475417
April34169586
May5363823
June0497946
July05881,052
August06081,072
September2424871
October37200629
November18241327
December3985143

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 3.7 km from Kinney 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 USC00411007 (Brackettville). Public domain.