USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 73082 — Rush Springs, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Acme Mesonet, OK (1,302 ft), 5 miles west.
Updated
In Rush Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 210 days (NOAA, Acme Mesonet, OK).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 210 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 1.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rush Springs
Half of springs at Acme Mesonet, OK see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 81% of the 114 Oklahoma stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 210 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 233 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 76 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 13 days longer, to about April 17, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between December 17 and February 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 27 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Acme Mesonet, OK, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 73082 →Compare Rush Springs with another place →
Weather by month in Rush Springs
July is the warmest month at Acme Mesonet, OK, averaging 94°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 28°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,224 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 61% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 38% of them (1,996) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,007.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 100% | 22 | 22 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 100% | 16 | 58 |
| Mar | 64 | 40 | 97% | 7 | 166 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 60% | 2 | 324 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 2% | <1 | 588 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 838 |
| Jul | 94 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 985 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 51% | 2 | 386 |
| Nov | 62 | 39 | 99% | 9 | 125 |
| Dec | 52 | 30 | 100% | 19 | 26 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Acme Mesonet, OK (1,302 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Lindsay 2 W, OK, 17 miles east of Rush Springs and 322 feet lower, has a last frost 9 days later (April 13), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 27), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Rush Springs, Oklahoma
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cox City 2 NE, OK, 13.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 73082
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 73082 is 5 miles from Acme Mesonet, OK, which stands at 1,302 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 73082 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.