Tahoka climate

Tahoka Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Tahoka, 0.6 km from Tahoka, elevation 3120 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tahoka. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 220 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 12, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 17, first November 17

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 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 27
32°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18Mar 12
28°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 28Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28
24°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 10
20°FMar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 11Feb 6Jan 30Jan 16
16°FMar 1Feb 20Feb 10Feb 3Jan 29Jan 21Jan 12Jan 5Dec 23

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 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12
32°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22
28°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3
24°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 20
20°FNov 23Nov 29Dec 5Dec 10Dec 14Dec 20Dec 25Jan 1Jan 12
16°FDec 5Dec 12Dec 19Dec 25Jan 1Jan 7Jan 13Jan 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°F222214208204200196192187180
32°F244235230225220216211206197
28°F272263256250245239234226219
24°F301290283278273267261254245
20°F337325316308301296290281270
16°F365365355347338331322312300

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
83% 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
3,098
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,951
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,231
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,659
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,234
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,973
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,882

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January713026
February541156
March37510179
April16553355
May42207630
June1408856
July0498963
August0458922
September19246677
October14267405
November4235132
December676033

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 0.6 km from Tahoka. 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 USC00418818 (Tahoka). Public domain.