Wharton climate

Wharton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for El Campo, 20.1 km from Wharton, elevation 110 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for El Campo. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around December 5, a growing season of about 287 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 7, first November 25
Median at 32°F
last February 23, first December 5
Median at 28°F
last February 2, first December 25

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 30Mar 22Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15
32°FMar 16Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 9Jan 31Jan 22
28°FMar 5Feb 27Feb 18Feb 10Feb 2Jan 28Jan 21Jan 12Dec 29
24°FFeb 28Feb 11Feb 2Jan 29Jan 21Jan 16Jan 7Dec 31Dec 19
20°FFeb 14Feb 2Jan 25Jan 20Jan 11Jan 6Jan 1Dec 27Dec 15
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 4Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
32°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 24Jan 4
28°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 11Dec 18Dec 25Jan 1Jan 5Jan 14Jan 27
24°FDec 8Dec 16Dec 25Jan 1Jan 5Jan 14Jan 20Jan 30Feb 8
20°FDec 13Dec 22Dec 30Jan 1Jan 6Jan 13Jan 20Jan 29Feb 9
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°F286278271266259253248239229
32°F325310301294287280273266254
28°F365348338332324314305297283
24°F365365365365361351342331314
20°F365365365365365365365365357
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
100% of years
28°F or colder
91% of years
24°F or colder
58% of years
20°F or colder
18% of years
16°F or colder
3% 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
1,214
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,307
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,237
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,455
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,738
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,122
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,634

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January36716181
February24326237
March11282444
April26184608
May2378842
June0522972
July06171,082
August06231,088
September0489939
October21265709
November13682408
December30724230

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 20.1 km from Wharton. 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 USC00412786 (El Campo). Public domain.