Lacy-Lakeview climate

Lacy-Lakeview Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Waco Dam, 11.2 km from Lacy-Lakeview, elevation 495 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Waco Dam. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around November 20, a growing season of about 256 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 24, first November 10
Median at 32°F
last March 9, first November 20
Median at 28°F
last February 25, first December 3

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 13Apr 6Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8Mar 2
32°FApr 4Mar 27Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 17
28°FMar 21Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 20Feb 13Feb 3Jan 27
24°FMar 6Feb 28Feb 19Feb 11Feb 4Jan 30Jan 25Jan 18Jan 4
20°FFeb 20Feb 10Feb 3Jan 28Jan 23Jan 17Jan 9Jan 2Dec 20
16°FFeb 8Feb 1Jan 24Jan 19Jan 13Jan 9Jan 5Jan 2Dec 23

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 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
32°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9
28°FNov 12Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 23Jan 1
24°FNov 26Dec 2Dec 8Dec 14Dec 21Dec 28Jan 3Jan 10Jan 23
20°FDec 7Dec 16Dec 23Dec 31Jan 3Jan 9Jan 15Jan 22Feb 2
16°FDec 19Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 8Jan 13Jan 20Jan 25Feb 3

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°F259249242237231224219213204
32°F284275268262256251244235224
28°F321307297289282276269261250
24°F354343334327320313304295281
20°F365365365358350343335327314
16°F365365365365365365363355341

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
95% of years
20°F or colder
69% of years
16°F or colder
30% 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
2,125
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,725
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,808
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,112
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,532
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,101
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,830

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January557270
February4006119
March24730282
April8591460
May11276730
June0485934
July06121,077
August06231,088
September3405852
October65164568
November26429255
December495498

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 11.2 km from Lacy-Lakeview. 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 USC00419417 (Waco Dam). Public domain.