Runge climate

Runge Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Karnes City 2N, 16.1 km from Runge, elevation 450 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Karnes City 2N. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around December 9, a growing season of about 300 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 4, first November 27
Median at 32°F
last February 16, first December 9
Median at 28°F
last January 28, first December 27

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°FMar 28Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 6
32°FMar 13Mar 5Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 7Jan 31Jan 25Jan 13
28°FMar 2Feb 20Feb 9Feb 2Jan 28Jan 20Jan 12Jan 1Dec 19
24°FFeb 13Feb 5Jan 30Jan 23Jan 13Jan 7Jan 1Dec 25Dec 13
20°F–––––––––
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 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 16
32°FNov 20Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 22Jan 1Jan 10
28°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 27Jan 2Jan 8Jan 19Feb 3
24°FDec 8Dec 17Dec 25Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 20Jan 31Feb 6
20°F–––––––––
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°F298288280273267261256249238
32°F338327315306300292284275264
28°F365365356345337330320309296
24°F365365365365365365356343329
20°F365365365365365365365365365
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
97% of years
28°F or colder
78% of years
24°F or colder
35% of years
20°F or colder
9% of years
16°F or colder
1% 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
1,295
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,218
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,073
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,299
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,588
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,982
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,516

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January36514187
February24926232
March13374418
April30185605
May3374835
June0529979
July06111,076
August06231,088
September1450898
October31235671
November15077390
December33322210

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 16.1 km from Runge. 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 USC00414696 (Karnes City 2N). Public domain.