Stephens County climate

Stephens County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Breckenridge, 6.3 km from Stephens County, elevation 1170 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Breckenridge. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 213 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 4, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 21, first November 11

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

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 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7
32°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16
28°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27
24°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8
20°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19Dec 29
16°FNov 27Dec 3Dec 10Dec 16Dec 22Dec 28Jan 2Jan 11Jan 25

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°F212205200195192188184177169
32°F239231224219213209204198190
28°F260253247241235230225219211
24°F285276271265260254248242233
20°F318307299293286280274267257
16°F357343334327319313304297283

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
95% 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
2,823
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,389
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,911
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,323
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,869
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,560
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,397

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January689144
February510583
March33226224
April13386413
May28245682
June0444894
July05771,042
August05591,024
September10323764
October113110471
November37512171
December634259

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 6.3 km from Stephens County. 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 USC00411042 (Breckenridge). Public domain.