Victoria climate

Victoria Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Victoria Fire Dept #5, 6.4 km from Victoria, elevation 101 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Victoria Fire Dept #5. 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 February 14 and the first fall freeze around December 9, a growing season of about 299 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 3, first November 27
Median at 32°F
last February 14, first December 9
Median at 28°F
last January 28, first December 31

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°FMar 31Mar 19Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 21Feb 14Feb 3
32°FMar 13Mar 5Feb 27Feb 21Feb 14Feb 7Feb 1Jan 27Jan 17
28°FMar 1Feb 17Feb 8Feb 2Jan 28Jan 21Jan 14Jan 7Dec 26
24°FFeb 19Feb 7Jan 31Jan 22Jan 16Jan 10Jan 5Dec 31Dec 19
20°FFeb 6Feb 1Jan 20Jan 14Jan 10Jan 8Jan 3Dec 31Dec 18
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 6Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 20
32°FNov 17Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 23Jan 1Jan 8
28°FDec 2Dec 8Dec 16Dec 23Dec 31Jan 4Jan 9Jan 16Feb 2
24°FDec 12Dec 20Dec 28Jan 2Jan 7Jan 10Jan 18Jan 28Feb 8
20°FDec 14Dec 23Jan 1Jan 6Jan 9Jan 11Jan 18Jan 23Feb 4
16°F–––––––––

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°F300289280274268262256248239
32°F334323314307299293284275264
28°F365359351343337330320310299
24°F365365365365365363355344329
20°F365365365365365365365365359
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
99% of years
28°F or colder
84% of years
24°F or colder
44% of years
20°F or colder
13% of years
16°F or colder
1% 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
1,254
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,119
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,008
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,222
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,504
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,893
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,420

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January38013165
February23728243
March12176426
April36156571
May3356818
June0506955
July05971,062
August06081,072
September0441891
October21245688
November14071392
December31523219

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 6.4 km from Victoria. 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 USC00419361 (Victoria Fire Dept #5). Public domain.