Schleicher County climate

Schleicher County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eldorado, 6.5 km from Schleicher County, elevation 2440 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eldorado. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around November 10, a growing season of about 234 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 6, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 22, first November 10
Median at 28°F
last March 8, first November 21

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 23Apr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 17
32°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 1
28°FMar 29Mar 20Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16
24°FMar 15Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 13Feb 4Jan 26
20°FMar 8Mar 1Feb 21Feb 13Feb 4Jan 29Jan 21Jan 11Dec 30
16°FFeb 28Feb 8Jan 31Jan 27Jan 18Jan 12Jan 4Dec 31Dec 14

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 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
32°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28
28°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3Dec 10
24°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 22Jan 1
20°FNov 25Dec 3Dec 10Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 4Jan 12Jan 29
16°FDec 4Dec 13Dec 20Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 15Jan 25Feb 6

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°F232224217212208204199194187
32°F259251244239234229223218209
28°F285275269264259254249242234
24°F322309301294287281274267258
20°F365352340332323314305299286
16°F365365365365364355343333310

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
90% of years
16°F or colder
49% 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
2,490
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,087
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,860
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,213
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,693
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,323
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,116

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January622147
February4453101
March28415242
April10376430
May19236682
June0400850
July0481946
August0484948
September8287729
October9796472
November3458179
December566168

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 6.5 km from Schleicher County. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00412809 (Eldorado). Public domain.