Kleberg County Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kingsville Naas. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around December 14, a growing season of about 314 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last February 22, first November 29
- Median at 32°F
- last February 3, first December 14
- Median at 28°F
- last January 14, first December 28
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 15 | Mar 9 | Mar 4 | Feb 28 | Feb 22 | Feb 17 | Feb 11 | Feb 4 | Jan 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 6 | Feb 26 | Feb 18 | Feb 10 | Feb 3 | Jan 29 | Jan 22 | Jan 10 | Dec 27 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Feb 14 | Feb 2 | Jan 25 | Jan 14 | Jan 6 | Dec 31 | Dec 22 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Jan 28 | Jan 17 | Jan 9 | Jan 4 | Dec 30 | Dec 26 | Dec 19 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 |
| 32°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 22 |
| 28°F | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Feb 8 |
| 24°F | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 21 | Feb 9 |
| 20°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 317 | 303 | 293 | 286 | 281 | 273 | 266 | 260 | 251 |
| 32°F | 353 | 340 | 331 | 322 | 314 | 307 | 298 | 288 | 276 |
| 28°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 355 | 345 | 338 | 329 | 310 |
| 24°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 364 | 348 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
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
- 93% of years
- 28°F or colder
- 58% of years
- 24°F or colder
- 21% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 4% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 0% 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
- 837
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 3,891
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 12,184
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 10,376
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 8,603
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 6,910
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 5,333
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 262 | 36 | 270 |
| February | 151 | 64 | 345 |
| March | 71 | 146 | 543 |
| April | 12 | 279 | 717 |
| May | 0 | 458 | 922 |
| June | 0 | 579 | 1,029 |
| July | 0 | 642 | 1,107 |
| August | 0 | 662 | 1,127 |
| September | 0 | 515 | 965 |
| October | 12 | 328 | 781 |
| November | 99 | 128 | 484 |
| December | 229 | 56 | 314 |
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 16.8 km from Kleberg County. 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 USW00012928 (Kingsville Naas). Public domain.