Lago Vista climate

Lago Vista Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Austin 33 Nw, 20.3 km from Lago Vista, elevation 1361 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Austin 33 Nw. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around November 29, a growing season of about 274 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 14, first November 18
Median at 32°F
last March 2, first November 29
Median at 28°F
last February 16, first December 13

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 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 25
32°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 6
28°FMar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 16Feb 9Feb 1Jan 25Jan 12
24°FMar 2Feb 21Feb 13Feb 5Jan 29Jan 21Jan 12Jan 1Dec 20
20°FFeb 22Feb 11Feb 2Jan 22Jan 15Jan 7Jan 3Dec 31Dec 22
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 2Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
32°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 19
28°FNov 20Nov 29Dec 4Dec 9Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25Jan 1Jan 16
24°FDec 4Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23Dec 30Jan 4Jan 13Jan 24Feb 10
20°FDec 15Dec 23Dec 30Jan 3Jan 6Jan 15Jan 24Feb 3Feb 14
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°F273264258253249243238232223
32°F304294286280274267261254245
28°F342330320311304298290282271
24°F365365358348339330321311300
20°F365365365365365365361347327
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
100% of years
28°F or colder
98% of years
24°F or colder
77% of years
20°F or colder
35% of years
16°F or colder
10% 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
1,786
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,695
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,098
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,373
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,738
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,236
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,882

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4636122
February35013163
March19244339
April53118515
May8286743
June0469919
July05691,034
August05851,050
September2383831
October49183602
November22634288
December4426133

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 20.3 km from Lago Vista. 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 USW00023907 (Austin 33 Nw). Public domain.