Laughlin Air Force Base climate

Laughlin Air Force Base Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Del Rio Intl AP, 14.1 km from Laughlin Air Force Base, elevation 999 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Del Rio Intl AP. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around December 3, a growing season of about 293 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 3, first November 20
Median at 32°F
last February 16, first December 3
Median at 28°F
last January 24, first December 18

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 24Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 10
32°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 10Feb 5Jan 29Jan 19
28°FFeb 26Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 24Jan 17Jan 9Jan 2Dec 23
24°FFeb 13Feb 1Jan 22Jan 13Jan 6Jan 2Dec 30Dec 23Dec 13
20°FJan 23Jan 16Jan 9Jan 5Jan 2Dec 31Dec 28Dec 23Dec 17
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 4Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
32°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17Dec 26
28°FNov 27Dec 3Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23Dec 29Jan 5Jan 19
24°FDec 6Dec 13Dec 21Dec 26Dec 31Jan 3Jan 9Jan 17Feb 3
20°FDec 13Dec 22Dec 25Dec 31Jan 2Jan 5Jan 9Jan 15Jan 23
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°F289279274268262256251244237
32°F325313305299293286280272262
28°F361350341335329323314304291
24°F365365365365364357348338328
20°F365365365365365365365365359
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
91% of years
24°F or colder
52% of years
20°F or colder
12% of years
16°F or colder
1% 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
970
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
4,233
Growing degree days, base 40°F
12,394
Growing degree days, base 45°F
10,586
Growing degree days, base 50°F
8,820
Growing degree days, base 55°F
7,145
Growing degree days, base 60°F
5,610

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January30310205
February16742308
March62158564
April10307747
May0530995
June06811,131
July07611,226
August07721,237
September15571,007
October15320771
November12282415
December29114214

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 14.1 km from Laughlin Air Force Base. 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 USW00022010 (Del Rio Intl AP). Public domain.