Midland climate

Midland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Midland 4 Ene, 5.5 km from Midland, elevation 2776 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Midland 4 Ene. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 226 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 10, first November 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°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
32°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 16Mar 11Mar 4
28°FApr 2Mar 26Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20
24°FMar 18Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 22Feb 15Feb 8Jan 30
20°FMar 7Feb 27Feb 21Feb 13Feb 6Jan 31Jan 24Jan 14Jan 1
16°FFeb 20Feb 9Feb 2Jan 29Jan 20Jan 13Jan 6Dec 30Dec 17

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 14Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13
32°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24
28°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
24°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20
20°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 22Dec 28Jan 4Jan 15
16°FDec 1Dec 8Dec 17Dec 23Dec 29Jan 4Jan 12Jan 22Feb 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°F226219213208203199194188180
32°F251244237231226222215208200
28°F278269261255250245240233223
24°F308296289282277271264257247
20°F349335328319311303296287275
16°F365365364354344337330321307

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
97% of years
16°F or colder
73% 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
2,361
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,402
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,274
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,601
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,060
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,677
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,458

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January600046
February420399
March24526277
April77105482
May11302756
June0482931
July05431,007
August0513978
September7306749
October81114503
November3429179
December578053

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 5.5 km from Midland. 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 USC00415891 (Midland 4 Ene). Public domain.