USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 74338 — Colcord, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kansas 2 NE, OK (1,190 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Colcord, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Kansas 2 NE, OK).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 216 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
- December 18
- Last snow
- February 25
- Winters with snow
- 75%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Colcord
Half of springs at Kansas 2 NE, OK see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 12 20%, and after April 18 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 2 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 10 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 241 days one year in ten and falls short of 191 one year in ten. On average 70 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 13, and return around October 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 21 and February 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F | Jan 20 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 |
| 16°F | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kansas 2 NE, 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 74338 →Compare Colcord with another place →
Weather by month in Colcord
July is the warmest month at Kansas 2 NE, OK, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°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 48% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,968 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 38% of them (1,891) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 23 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 100% | 14 | 47 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 96% | 8 | 163 |
| Apr | 72 | 49 | 48% | 1 | 335 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 1% | 0 | 549 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 675 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 43% | 1 | 369 |
| Nov | 61 | 40 | 98% | 8 | 126 |
| Dec | 52 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 36 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kansas 2 NE, OK (1,190 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, Upper Spavinaw Port, OK, 12 miles northwest of Colcord and 395 feet lower, has a last frost 16 days later (April 16), a first frost 13 days earlier (October 20), a season 29 days shorter.
When it snows in Colcord, Oklahoma
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Colcord usually arrives around December 18, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Kansas 2 NE, OK, 5.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 75% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 74338
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 74338 is 6 miles from Kansas 2 NE, OK, which stands at 1,190 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 74338 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.