McCleary climate

McCleary Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Matlock 8 S, 14.5 km from McCleary, elevation 110 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Matlock 8 S. 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 April 23 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last March 23, first November 10

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°FJun 2May 25May 19May 14May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26
32°FMay 7May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14Apr 7Apr 1
28°FApr 19Apr 9Apr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 16Mar 10Feb 28Feb 22
24°FMar 16Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15Feb 8Jan 24Jan 3Dec 15
20°FFeb 25Feb 17Feb 10Jan 31Jan 14Dec 31Dec 18Dec 9Dec 1
16°FFeb 18Feb 4Jan 22Jan 1Dec 27Dec 19Dec 12Dec 6Dec 1

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°FSep 15Sep 21Sep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 15Oct 21
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 10Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1Nov 10
28°FOct 17Oct 24Oct 30Nov 5Nov 10Nov 16Nov 22Nov 29Dec 12
24°FNov 5Nov 13Nov 22Nov 28Dec 3Dec 10Dec 19Dec 31Jan 27
20°FNov 22Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13Dec 21Dec 31Jan 13Feb 1Feb 16
16°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Dec 29Jan 1Jan 29Feb 16

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°F170160153148142137130124114
32°F212203195189183177172165156
28°F275263252243236228219208198
24°F349332319311303291280269254
20°F365365365365353338329317304
16°F365365365365365365365363336

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
94% of years
20°F or colder
59% of years
16°F or colder
22% 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
5,155
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
103
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,265
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,850
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,770
Growing degree days, base 55°F
970
Growing degree days, base 60°F
401

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January74901
February65101
March63208
April486038
May3072173
June17813286
July6442443
August5940446
September1756282
October436080
November627011
December79001

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 14.5 km from McCleary. 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 USC00455086 (Matlock 8 S). Public domain.