Wilbarger County climate

Wilbarger County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Vernon, 11.1 km from Wilbarger County, elevation 1210 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Vernon. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 225 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 9, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 27, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 9, 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 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 23
32°FApr 15Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 12Mar 5
28°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22
24°FMar 16Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 15Feb 7
20°FMar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 11Feb 6Jan 30Jan 18
16°FMar 1Feb 23Feb 15Feb 10Feb 3Jan 28Jan 20Jan 9Dec 26

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 16Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
32°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24
28°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
24°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 19
20°FNov 23Nov 29Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 18Dec 23Jan 1Jan 10
16°FDec 3Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 26Jan 4Jan 10Jan 19Jan 31

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°F226217213208204199193189182
32°F253243237231225219215209200
28°F277269263257252246240234224
24°F301291284279274270265258248
20°F333322313306300295288281271
16°F365358348339332324317307299

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
85% 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
2,999
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,466
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,835
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,265
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,840
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,567
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,442

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January722027
February564147
March34819210
April14462379
May25247687
June0473922
July06171,082
August05921,057
September12341778
October114103463
November39512157
December676033

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 11.1 km from Wilbarger County. 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 USC00419346 (Vernon). Public domain.