Terrell County climate

Terrell County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dryden Terrell CO AP, 23.7 km from Terrell County, elevation 2322 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dryden Terrell CO AP. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around November 28, a growing season of about 271 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 13, first November 16
Median at 32°F
last March 1, first November 28
Median at 28°F
last February 11, first December 9

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

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°F270263256251245240234227219
32°F298289282276271266260253244
28°F337326317311304296289280269
24°F365365357349339332325313301
20°F365365365365365365359349335
16°F365365365365365365365365363

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
99% of years
24°F or colder
81% of years
20°F or colder
37% of years
16°F or colder
11% 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
1,728
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,933
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,367
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,618
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,972
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,467
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,118

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January484187
February3069171
March15155381
April36174589
May3392854
June0530979
July06031,068
August05861,051
September2389837
October47172593
November23221264
December467298

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 23.7 km from Terrell County. 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 USW00003032 (Dryden Terrell CO AP). Public domain.