Lockney climate

Lockney Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Floydada, 18.5 km from Lockney, elevation 3220 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Floydada. 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 April 7 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 208 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 28, first November 12

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°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 2
32°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 20
28°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 14Mar 7
24°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22
20°FMar 22Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 27Feb 21Feb 16Feb 5
16°FMar 9Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 14Feb 8Feb 1Jan 24Jan 11

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 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 7
32°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
28°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26
24°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6
20°FNov 13Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 8Dec 13Dec 22
16°FNov 23Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Dec 28Jan 2Jan 14

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°F206200196192188185180175168
32°F229221216211208203199194187
28°F252244238233228223218213206
24°F276268262258253248242235227
20°F305295289282278272265259250
16°F343329320312305299292284274

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
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
98% 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
3,698
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,706
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,540
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,060
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,732
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,566
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,561

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January815011
February633033
March4575127
April22731283
May68156556
June3352799
July0470935
August1430894
September27214638
October18646348
November501293
December779016

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 18.5 km from Lockney. 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 USC00413214 (Floydada). Public domain.