Von Ormy Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for San Antonio/seaworld. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around December 9, a growing season of about 296 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last March 4, first November 25
- Median at 32°F
- last February 18, first December 9
- Median at 28°F
- last January 31, first December 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Mar 21 | Mar 14 | Mar 9 | Mar 4 | Feb 28 | Feb 24 | Feb 19 | Feb 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 6 | Feb 28 | Feb 23 | Feb 18 | Feb 12 | Feb 5 | Jan 29 | Jan 18 |
| 28°F | Mar 3 | Feb 22 | Feb 14 | Feb 6 | Jan 31 | Jan 24 | Jan 14 | Jan 2 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 10 | Feb 5 | Jan 28 | Jan 19 | Jan 7 | Dec 31 | Dec 20 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 5 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 32°F | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 2 | Jan 13 |
| 28°F | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 22 | Feb 9 |
| 24°F | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 23 | Feb 2 | Feb 12 |
| 20°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 297 | 285 | 276 | 269 | 264 | 259 | 252 | 243 | 233 |
| 32°F | 334 | 322 | 313 | 304 | 296 | 289 | 281 | 271 | 260 |
| 28°F | 365 | 365 | 353 | 343 | 334 | 327 | 317 | 304 | 291 |
| 24°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 355 | 341 | 326 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
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
- 79% of years
- 24°F or colder
- 38% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 8% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 0% 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
- 1,182
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 3,460
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 11,415
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 9,625
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 7,892
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 6,265
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 4,780
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 353 | 7 | 174 |
| February | 224 | 29 | 249 |
| March | 106 | 89 | 454 |
| April | 20 | 212 | 643 |
| May | 1 | 407 | 871 |
| June | 0 | 561 | 1,011 |
| July | 0 | 643 | 1,108 |
| August | 0 | 665 | 1,130 |
| September | 1 | 495 | 943 |
| October | 18 | 269 | 717 |
| November | 138 | 69 | 392 |
| December | 323 | 15 | 200 |
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 18.9 km from Von Ormy. 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 USC00418169 (San Antonio/seaworld). Public domain.