Texline Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Clayton Muni Air Pk. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 170 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 6, first October 7
- Median at 32°F
- last April 27, first October 17
- Median at 28°F
- last April 16, first October 26
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 20 | May 15 | May 11 | May 9 | May 6 | May 4 | May 1 | Apr 29 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | May 10 | May 5 | May 2 | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 24 | Apr 22 | Apr 18 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | May 1 | Apr 26 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 14 | Apr 11 | Apr 6 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Apr 21 | Apr 15 | Apr 11 | Apr 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 25 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F | Apr 9 | Apr 4 | Mar 31 | Mar 27 | Mar 23 | Mar 19 | Mar 14 | Mar 7 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F | Mar 31 | Mar 23 | Mar 17 | Mar 11 | Mar 7 | Mar 3 | Feb 28 | Feb 23 | Feb 16 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Oct 29 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 169 | 164 | 160 | 156 | 152 | 148 | 144 | 139 | 134 |
| 32°F | 188 | 182 | 177 | 173 | 170 | 166 | 162 | 158 | 151 |
| 28°F | 212 | 205 | 200 | 196 | 192 | 188 | 183 | 179 | 172 |
| 24°F | 236 | 229 | 223 | 218 | 213 | 208 | 204 | 198 | 191 |
| 20°F | 260 | 253 | 246 | 241 | 236 | 231 | 225 | 218 | 210 |
| 16°F | 288 | 278 | 271 | 265 | 259 | 253 | 247 | 240 | 232 |
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
- 100% 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
- 4,848
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 968
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 5,962
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,631
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 3,475
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,486
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,648
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 916 | 0 | 5 |
| February | 770 | 0 | 10 |
| March | 624 | 1 | 53 |
| April | 394 | 5 | 142 |
| May | 161 | 53 | 368 |
| June | 18 | 205 | 637 |
| July | 2 | 325 | 787 |
| August | 5 | 257 | 718 |
| September | 68 | 110 | 495 |
| October | 331 | 12 | 207 |
| November | 640 | 1 | 48 |
| December | 920 | 0 | 6 |
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 14 km from Texline. 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 USW00023051 (Clayton Muni Air Pk). Public domain.