USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 73945 — Hooker, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hooker, OK (3,001 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Hooker, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 192 days (NOAA, Hooker, OK).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 192 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 4
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 17"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hooker
Half of springs at Hooker, OK see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 1 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 114 Oklahoma stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 25 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 192 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 211 days one year in ten and falls short of 171 one year in ten. On average 125 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 10 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hooker, 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 73945 →Compare Hooker with another place →
Weather by month in Hooker
July is the warmest month at Hooker, OK, averaging 94°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 89% of years and May still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,411 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 36% of them (1,599) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 939. Precipitation totals 19.4 inches a year, most in June (2.9") and least in February (0.4"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 21 | 0.6 | 100% | 29 | 5 |
| Feb | 53 | 23 | 0.4 | 100% | 24 | 12 |
| Mar | 62 | 32 | 1.3 | 100% | 17 | 79 |
| Apr | 71 | 41 | 1.4 | 89% | 5 | 225 |
| May | 80 | 52 | 2.5 | 11% | <1 | 498 |
| Jun | 90 | 62 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Jul | 94 | 67 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Aug | 92 | 65 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 887 |
| Sep | 86 | 57 | 1.3 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Oct | 72 | 44 | 2.0 | 71% | 4 | 284 |
| Nov | 59 | 31 | 0.6 | 100% | 18 | 59 |
| Dec | 49 | 22 | 1.1 | 100% | 28 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hooker, OK (3,001 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, Guymon Municipal Airport, OK, 17 miles southwest of Hooker, has a last frost 2 days later (April 18), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 23), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Hooker, Oklahoma
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hooker usually arrives around December 4, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hooker, OK, 2.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 73945
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 73945 is 3 miles from Hooker, OK, which stands at 3,001 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 73945 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.