USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 73541 — Fletcher, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Apache 4ENE Mesonet, OK (1,443 ft), 9 miles northwest.
Updated
In Fletcher, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 213 days (NOAA, Apache 4ENE Mesonet, OK).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 213 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
- December 24
- Last snow
- February 11
- Winters with snow
- 93%
- Snow per year
- 5.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fletcher
Half of springs at Apache 4ENE Mesonet, OK see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 21 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 3 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 213 days in a typical year, longer than at 59% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 237 days one year in ten and falls short of 190 one year in ten. On average 78 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 12 days longer, to about April 15, and return around October 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between December 21 and February 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Apache 4ENE 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 73541 →Compare Fletcher with another place →
Weather by month in Fletcher
July is the warmest month at Apache 4ENE Mesonet, OK, averaging 93°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°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 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,092 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 38% of them (1,942) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 978.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 28 | 100% | 23 | 15 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 100% | 17 | 49 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 97% | 7 | 148 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 58% | 2 | 312 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 2% | <1 | 588 |
| Jun | 89 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 829 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 978 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 695 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 38% | 1 | 379 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 98% | 8 | 112 |
| Dec | 51 | 30 | 100% | 20 | 21 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Apache 4ENE Mesonet, OK (1,443 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, Acme Mesonet, OK, 10 miles east of Fletcher, has a last frost 1 day later (April 4), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 31), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Fletcher, Oklahoma
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fletcher usually arrives around December 24, and the last of the season around February 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Marlow 1 WSW, OK, 17.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 93% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 73541
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 73541 is 9 miles from Apache 4ENE Mesonet, OK, which stands at 1,443 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 73538 (Elgin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 73541 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.