Val Verde County climate

Val Verde County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hudspeth Rvr Rch, 12.7 km from Val Verde County, elevation 1570 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hudspeth Rvr Rch. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around November 16, a growing season of about 251 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 28, first November 6
Median at 32°F
last March 10, first November 16
Median at 28°F
last February 25, first November 29

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 17Apr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17Mar 11Mar 3
32°FApr 4Mar 28Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19
28°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 14Feb 8Jan 31
24°FMar 7Feb 27Feb 20Feb 13Feb 6Jan 31Jan 25Jan 15Dec 30
20°FFeb 19Feb 7Feb 1Jan 25Jan 16Jan 7Dec 31Dec 23Dec 11
16°FFeb 3Jan 28Jan 16Jan 9Jan 4Jan 1Dec 28Dec 20Dec 12

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 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
32°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
28°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 20
24°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24Jan 1Jan 16
20°FNov 29Dec 6Dec 12Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 8Jan 19Feb 2
16°FDec 10Dec 19Dec 25Jan 1Jan 2Jan 4Jan 10Jan 18Feb 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°F250243236230225219214207200
32°F278268261255251245239231222
28°F307297290283277271265258248
24°F349337329319310303295286274
20°F365365365363353343335328313
16°F365365365365365365365363346

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
96% of years
20°F or colder
67% of years
16°F or colder
23% 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
1,796
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,893
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,263
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,519
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,879
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,386
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,055

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January491184
February3257155
March16159378
April48150554
May6350809
June0517967
July06081,073
August06061,071
September3402849
October46172592
November24721252
December469296

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 12.7 km from Val Verde 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 USC00414348 (Hudspeth Rvr Rch). Public domain.