Wichita County climate

Wichita County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wichita Falls Muni AP, 19.5 km from Wichita County, elevation 1017 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wichita Falls Muni AP. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 228 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 12, first November 18

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 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22
32°FApr 14Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8
28°FApr 1Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23
24°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 5
20°FMar 9Mar 3Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 9Feb 1Jan 27Jan 17
16°FFeb 28Feb 19Feb 10Feb 3Jan 29Jan 23Jan 15Jan 4Dec 25

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 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13
32°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24
28°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4
24°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 19
20°FNov 23Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 18Dec 22Dec 30Jan 7
16°FDec 2Dec 10Dec 16Dec 22Dec 28Jan 2Jan 10Jan 19Feb 2

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°F228220215210206201197192184
32°F251243237232228223218212205
28°F275266260255250246241233225
24°F302294286281274269263257249
20°F337324316309302296290282271
16°F365361349341333326318309298

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
100% of years
20°F or colder
99% of years
16°F or colder
86% 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
2,897
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,445
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,904
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,318
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,873
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,578
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,435

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January703136
February527371
March33921212
April13771393
May25236676
June0455904
July06111,076
August05901,055
September10341781
October117104462
November38112164
December659144

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 19.5 km from Wichita County. 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 USW00013966 (Wichita Falls Muni AP). Public domain.