Parmer County climate

Parmer County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Friona, 13.4 km from Parmer County, elevation 4010 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Friona. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first November 2

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 12May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21
32°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 25
24°FApr 15Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9
20°FApr 1Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 21
16°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 3

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 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24
20°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4
16°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 13Dec 21

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°F181175171167164160157153147
32°F200194189186182179175171163
28°F225217213208204200195190182
24°F251242235230225221215210202
20°F277269262256250246240233224
16°F306296289283277271265258249

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
100% 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
4,243
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,296
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,717
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,303
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,057
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,980
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,063

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January87905
February685017
March528182
April3039203
May10493460
June5284729
July1382846
August2343806
September40162574
October25123273
November588155
December85907

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 13.4 km from Parmer County. 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 USC00413368 (Friona). Public domain.