Poteet climate

Poteet Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Poteet, 1.4 km from Poteet, elevation 425 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Poteet. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 281 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 6, first November 17
Median at 32°F
last February 22, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last February 4, first December 17

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 5Mar 27Mar 19Mar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 13
32°FMar 18Mar 9Mar 3Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 10Feb 2Jan 25
28°FMar 6Feb 26Feb 19Feb 13Feb 4Jan 31Jan 23Jan 15Dec 31
24°FMar 1Feb 16Feb 7Feb 1Jan 23Jan 15Jan 5Dec 30Dec 12
20°FFeb 21Feb 6Feb 2Jan 20Jan 10Jan 3Dec 31Dec 26Dec 18
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 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
32°FNov 8Nov 15Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 16Dec 28
28°FNov 22Nov 29Dec 4Dec 9Dec 17Dec 25Jan 1Jan 7Jan 24
24°FDec 1Dec 8Dec 18Dec 25Jan 1Jan 5Jan 15Jan 30Feb 11
20°FDec 16Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 4Jan 11Jan 25Feb 4Feb 13
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°F285274265258253247240231220
32°F319305295288281274267259248
28°F360343334326317308299290277
24°F365365365364356346334324306
20°F365365365365365365365361345
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
65% of years
20°F or colder
26% 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
1,293
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,305
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,154
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,371
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,655
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,051
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,593

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January37312168
February23825235
March12086439
April30189610
May3387849
June0537987
July06221,087
August06401,105
September0471921
October27250688
November15467376
December34819190

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 1.4 km from Poteet. 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 USC00417215 (Poteet). Public domain.