Waskom climate

Waskom Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Shreveport WFO, 20.7 km from Waskom, elevation 274 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Shreveport WFO. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around November 19, a growing season of about 257 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 25, first November 8
Median at 32°F
last March 6, first November 19
Median at 28°F
last February 20, first December 3

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 12Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9Mar 1
32°FMar 29Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 22Feb 13
28°FMar 14Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 13Feb 6Jan 31Jan 22
24°FMar 1Feb 20Feb 11Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 13Jan 1
20°FFeb 16Feb 6Jan 31Jan 23Jan 18Jan 14Jan 8Jan 2Dec 25
16°FFeb 7Feb 1Jan 25Jan 20Jan 14Jan 9Jan 5Jan 2Dec 24

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 30Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
32°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 8
28°FNov 11Nov 19Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 13Dec 22Jan 1
24°FNov 26Dec 4Dec 11Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 13Jan 24
20°FDec 12Dec 24Dec 29Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 17Jan 23Feb 2
16°FDec 18Dec 29Jan 2Jan 5Jan 9Jan 13Jan 20Jan 29Feb 5

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°F255246240234229224220214205
32°F285276270264257251245238229
28°F325311303296289282275268258
24°F363348339333327320310301288
20°F365365365365359350342333322
16°F365365365365365365365365347

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
92% of years
20°F or colder
60% 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
2,254
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,405
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,366
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,695
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,145
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,733
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,482

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January568377
February4197120
March24827273
April9575435
May11256710
June0427877
July05471,012
August05591,024
September2357805
October80122508
November30020214
December531590

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 20.7 km from Waskom. 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 USC00168448 (Shreveport WFO). Public domain.