USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 74023 — Cushing, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cushing, OK (950 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Cushing, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 217 days (NOAA, Cushing, OK).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 217 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 23
- Last snow
- January 29
- Winters with snow
- 70%
- Snow per year
- 4.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cushing
Half of springs at Cushing, OK see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 17 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 61% of the 114 Oklahoma stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 6, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 217 days in a typical year, longer than at 70% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 240 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 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 10 days longer, to about April 11, and return around October 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 18 and February 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F | Feb 2 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cushing, 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 74023 →Compare Cushing with another place →
Weather by month in Cushing
July is the warmest month at Cushing, OK, averaging 93°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 26°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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,103 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 37% of them (1,906) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 997. Precipitation totals 37.9 inches a year, most in May (6.1") and least in January (1.4"); May to September bring 56% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 26 | 1.4 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
| Feb | 54 | 30 | 1.4 | 100% | 16 | 39 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 2.5 | 97% | 8 | 143 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 3.6 | 51% | 1 | 315 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 571 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 823 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 997 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 976 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 704 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 3.4 | 33% | 1 | 377 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 2.2 | 99% | 8 | 121 |
| Dec | 51 | 29 | 2.1 | 100% | 20 | 22 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cushing, OK (950 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, Perkins 2NNW Mesonet, OK, 16 miles west of Cushing, has a last frost 3 days later (April 4), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 2), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Cushing, Oklahoma
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cushing usually arrives around December 23, and the last of the season around January 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cushing, OK, 1.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 70% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 62 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 74023
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 74023 is 1 mile from Cushing, OK, which stands at 950 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 74023 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.