Skidmore climate

Skidmore Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beeville 5 Ne, 22.7 km from Skidmore, elevation 255 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beeville 5 Ne. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around December 8, a growing season of about 299 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 4, first November 26
Median at 32°F
last February 17, first December 8
Median at 28°F
last January 29, 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 23Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17Feb 5
32°FMar 12Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24Feb 17Feb 9Feb 2Jan 26Jan 14
28°FMar 3Feb 22Feb 13Feb 4Jan 29Jan 22Jan 13Jan 3Dec 18
24°FFeb 25Feb 10Feb 3Jan 27Jan 16Jan 8Jan 3Dec 25Dec 11
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 8Nov 14Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 16
32°FNov 18Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22Dec 31Jan 9
28°FNov 27Dec 5Dec 12Dec 17Dec 27Jan 1Jan 8Jan 18Feb 3
24°FDec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 31Jan 3Jan 9Jan 19Feb 1Feb 13
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°F301290282274268262255249241
32°F339326316306299292283276264
28°F365365352343335327318308294
24°F365365365365365365357344328
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
98% of years
28°F or colder
81% of years
24°F or colder
38% of years
20°F or colder
8% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
1,158
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,221
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,206
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,421
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,696
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,064
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,561

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January34218201
February22232260
March11489450
April28184607
May2377840
June0511961
July05751,040
August06061,071
September1449899
October23262704
November13091423
December29727239

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 22.7 km from Skidmore. 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 USC00410639 (Beeville 5 Ne). Public domain.