Seth Ward climate

Seth Ward Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Plainview, 2.8 km from Seth Ward, elevation 3370 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Plainview. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 209 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 23
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 25, first November 12

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 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
32°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
28°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 5
24°FApr 1Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 22
20°FMar 19Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Mar 1Feb 25Feb 21Feb 15Feb 5
16°FMar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 20Feb 14Feb 8Feb 1Jan 24Jan 10

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 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
32°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
28°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26
24°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9
20°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24
16°FNov 24Nov 30Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 23Dec 29Jan 5Jan 15

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°F208201196192188184180175169
32°F230223217213209204200195188
28°F256246240236230225220214206
24°F279270264260254248243237228
20°F307299292286280275268262253
16°F346332323315308302295287276

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
98% 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
3,640
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,723
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,601
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,108
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,769
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,594
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,582

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January800013
February622036
March4495130
April22232288
May63164568
June2366814
July0470935
August1424888
September27216640
October18945345
November498294
December769018

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 2.8 km from Seth Ward. 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 USC00417079 (Plainview). Public domain.