Newton climate

Newton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sam Rayburn Dam, 40.5 km from Newton, elevation 189 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sam Rayburn Dam. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 280 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 13, first November 19
Median at 32°F
last February 24, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last February 3, first December 22

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 4Mar 30Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17
32°FMar 23Mar 13Mar 6Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 2Jan 28
28°FMar 5Feb 25Feb 18Feb 11Feb 3Jan 30Jan 25Jan 18Jan 7
24°FFeb 24Feb 10Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 18Jan 11Jan 4Dec 27
20°FFeb 7Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 19Jan 14Jan 8Jan 3Dec 30
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 6Nov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
32°FNov 9Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16Dec 27
28°FNov 26Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 21
24°FDec 11Dec 21Dec 29Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 15Jan 23Feb 4
20°FDec 28Jan 1Jan 4Jan 7Jan 12Jan 15Jan 19Jan 28Feb 2
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°F280270263255249243236229220
32°F316303293286280274266258248
28°F353340333324317309303292280
24°F365365365362353345337330313
20°F365365365365365365365360344
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
94% of years
24°F or colder
62% of years
20°F or colder
22% of years
16°F or colder
2% 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
1,671
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,988
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,475
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,732
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,086
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,568
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,195

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January45411133
February31822180
March18164367
April60145537
May5338798
June0509958
July06011,066
August06031,068
September2444892
October46190611
November20747312
December39915163

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 40.5 km from Newton. 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 USC00417936 (Sam Rayburn Dam). Public domain.