Odessa climate

Odessa Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Odessa, 0.4 km from Odessa, elevation 1543 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Odessa. 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 May 14 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 5, first September 11
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 7

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 27Jun 19Jun 13Jun 9Jun 5Jun 1May 28May 23May 15
32°FMay 31May 26May 20May 16May 14May 11May 7May 3Apr 29
28°FMay 16May 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20Apr 13
24°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 14Apr 8Apr 1Mar 27Mar 18
20°FApr 13Apr 1Mar 26Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 20
16°FMar 14Mar 8Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 17Feb 12Feb 3Jan 21

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°FAug 28Sep 1Sep 4Sep 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 18Sep 22Sep 27
32°FSep 10Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 24Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 23
24°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 5
20°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 12Nov 19
16°FOct 22Oct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 6

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°F1241151091049893868072
32°F156149144140135130125119111
28°F182174169165161157153148141
24°F220209202196190184178172165
20°F262251243237231224217210197
16°F304291283274267260252245235

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% 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
6,333
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
433
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,322
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,187
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,250
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,477
Growing degree days, base 60°F
868

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09400
February86501
March73505
April515049
May28312215
June12449376
July26176615
August29159595
September16836324
October524165
November84903
December1,12100

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 0.4 km from Odessa. 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 USC00456039 (Odessa). Public domain.