Slaton climate

Slaton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lubbock WFO, 23.9 km from Slaton, elevation 3235 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lubbock WFO. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around November 11, a growing season of about 233 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last March 24, first November 11
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 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
32°FApr 15Apr 7Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4
28°FApr 1Mar 24Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20
24°FMar 15Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 18Feb 12Feb 2
20°FMar 4Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 11Feb 6Jan 31Jan 21Jan 7
16°FFeb 24Feb 15Feb 7Jan 30Jan 21Jan 12Jan 4Dec 28Dec 18

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 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
32°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26
28°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
24°FNov 13Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21
20°FNov 24Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 17Dec 21Dec 27Jan 3Jan 13
16°FDec 6Dec 13Dec 18Dec 23Dec 29Jan 3Jan 11Jan 22Feb 5

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°F230223217213209205199194186
32°F257248243237233227222215205
28°F280272266260256251245237228
24°F308298291285280275269262253
20°F345332323317311303297290279
16°F365365360351343334327318306

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
72% 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
3,088
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,946
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,234
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,664
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,236
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,977
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,883

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January705024
February546165
March3739173
April14447362
May43209632
June0400850
July0501966
August0463928
September14236672
October15077409
November4214129
December692028

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 23.9 km from Slaton. 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 USC00415409 (Lubbock WFO). Public domain.