USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 73527 — Cache, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Medicine Pk 3W Mesonet, OK (1,597 ft), 9 miles north.
Updated
In Cache, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 234 days (NOAA, Medicine Pk 3W Mesonet, OK).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 234 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 40%
- Snow per year
- 1.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cache
Half of springs at Medicine Pk 3W Mesonet, OK see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 60% of the 114 Oklahoma stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 12 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 234 days in a typical year, longer than at 97% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 258 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 55 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 3, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 84%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 2 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Medicine Pk 3W 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 73527 →Compare Cache with another place →
Weather by month in Cache
July is the warmest month at Medicine Pk 3W Mesonet, OK, averaging 94°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 31°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 85% of years and April still brings one in 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,463 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 38% of them (2,085) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,023.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 31 | 100% | 16 | 23 |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 100% | 14 | 63 |
| Mar | 64 | 43 | 85% | 4 | 185 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 26% | 1 | 352 |
| May | 80 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 616 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 1023 |
| Aug | 94 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 1012 |
| Sep | 85 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Oct | 74 | 53 | 19% | 1 | 436 |
| Nov | 61 | 41 | 92% | 5 | 139 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 100% | 14 | 30 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Medicine Pk 3W Mesonet, OK (1,597 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, Lawton, OK, 10 miles east of Cache and 447 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days later (March 26), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 7), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in Cache, Oklahoma
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wichita Mountain Wr, OK, 9.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 73527
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 73527 is 9 miles from Medicine Pk 3W Mesonet, OK, which stands at 1,597 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 73527 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.