USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 74058 — Pawnee, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ralston, OK (825 ft), 10 miles north.
Updated
In Pawnee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 196 days (NOAA, Ralston, OK).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 196 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 30%
- Snow per year
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pawnee
Half of springs at Ralston, OK see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 27 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 October 24 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 196 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 216 days one year in ten and falls short of 174 one year in ten. On average 97 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 23, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and February 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 16°F | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ralston, 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 74058 →Compare Pawnee with another place →
Weather by month in Pawnee
July is the warmest month at Ralston, OK, averaging 94°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 24°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,075 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 38% of them (1,924) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,006. Precipitation totals 37.7 inches a year, most in May (5.4") and least in January (1.2"); 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 | 24 | 1.2 | 100% | 25 | 12 |
| Feb | 55 | 28 | 1.6 | 100% | 20 | 36 |
| Mar | 64 | 37 | 2.8 | 100% | 11 | 142 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 4.1 | 76% | 3 | 320 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 5.4 | 5% | <1 | 583 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Jul | 94 | 71 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Aug | 93 | 69 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Sep | 86 | 60 | 3.4 | 3% | 0 | 690 |
| Oct | 75 | 48 | 3.1 | 75% | 2 | 371 |
| Nov | 62 | 36 | 1.9 | 100% | 13 | 105 |
| Dec | 51 | 27 | 1.9 | 100% | 23 | 19 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ralston, OK (825 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, Mannford 6 NW, OK, 22 miles southeast of Pawnee, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 6), a first frost 5 days later (October 29), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Pawnee, Oklahoma
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pawnee, OK, 2.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 74058
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 74058 is 10 miles from Ralston, OK, which stands at 825 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 74058 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.