Live Oak climate

Live Oak Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for San Antonio Intl AP, 14.5 km from Live Oak, elevation 789 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for San Antonio 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 28, a growing season of about 277 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 10, first November 16
Median at 32°F
last February 26, first November 28
Median at 28°F
last February 9, 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 2Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20
32°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 8Jan 29
28°FMar 7Feb 28Feb 21Feb 15Feb 9Feb 1Jan 26Jan 18Jan 2
24°FFeb 26Feb 15Feb 7Jan 31Jan 22Jan 14Jan 7Dec 30Dec 17
20°FFeb 16Feb 6Jan 30Jan 21Jan 11Jan 5Jan 2Dec 30Dec 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 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29Dec 5
32°FNov 7Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 22
28°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 21Dec 30Jan 6Jan 19
24°FDec 2Dec 10Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 13Jan 24Feb 10
20°FDec 14Dec 22Dec 30Jan 2Jan 6Jan 13Jan 23Feb 2Feb 10
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°F279269262256251246240233223
32°F311298289283277271264257247
28°F349337327318311303295287273
24°F365365365359352342331320307
20°F365365365365365365365361343
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
96% of years
24°F or colder
66% of years
20°F or colder
25% of years
16°F or colder
4% 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
1,438
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,148
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,858
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,085
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,392
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,822
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,400

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4067143
February26622214
March13971408
April35166581
May3359822
June0526976
July06141,079
August06341,099
September1447896
October34229661
November18658342
December36914171

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 14.5 km from Live Oak. 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 USW00012921 (San Antonio Intl AP). Public domain.