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USDA Hardiness Zone 7b

Frost Dates for 74401 — Muskogee, Oklahoma

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Muskogee, OK (518 ft), 5 miles northeast.

Updated

In Muskogee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Muskogee, OK).

Last spring frost
April 7

50% probability

First fall frost
October 30

50% probability

Growing season
208 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7b

5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night

First snow
December 23

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 3

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
88%

14 of 16 observed

Snow per year
2.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Muskogee

Half of springs at Muskogee, OK see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 26 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 81% of the 114 Oklahoma stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 30 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 232 days one year in ten and falls short of 185 one year in ten. On average 79 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 11 days longer, to about April 18, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 15 and February 19.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 2Apr 7Apr 11Apr 15Apr 18Apr 21Apr 25Apr 29May 3
32°FMar 20Mar 27Mar 31Apr 3Apr 7Apr 11Apr 15Apr 20Apr 26
28°FMar 4Mar 12Mar 17Mar 22Mar 26Mar 30Apr 2Apr 6Apr 11
24°FFeb 23Feb 28Mar 5Mar 8Mar 13Mar 17Mar 21Mar 27Apr 2
20°FFeb 9Feb 17Feb 22Feb 27Mar 2Mar 5Mar 9Mar 14Mar 21
16°F99% of yrsJan 24Feb 1Feb 7Feb 13Feb 19Feb 24Mar 1Mar 5Mar 13
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
32°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 26
24°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7
20°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 22
16°F99% of yrsNov 25Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 10

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Muskogee, 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 74401 →Compare Muskogee with another place →

Weather by month in Muskogee

July is the warmest month at Muskogee, OK, averaging 93°F by day and 72°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 65% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 5,125 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 38% of them (1,938) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,000. Precipitation totals 43.2 inches a year, most in May (5.3") and least in January (1.9"); May to September bring 49% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Muskogee, OK
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan49261.9100%2317
Feb54302.4100%1738
Mar63393.198%8151
Apr72484.965%1319
May79595.34%<1590
Jun88675.00%0823
Jul93723.30%01000
Aug93703.10%0969
Sep85624.30%0696
Oct74494.154%2375
Nov62383.2100%9118
Dec52302.6100%1931

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Muskogee, OK (518 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, Muskogee Davis Field, OK, 6 miles southeast of Muskogee, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 2), a first frost 3 days later (November 2), a season 8 days longer.

Frost dates for 74426 (Checotah) →

When it snows in Muskogee, Oklahoma

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Muskogee usually arrives around December 23, and the last of the season around February 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Muskogee, OK, 4.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 63 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 74401

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Muskogee, Oklahoma
WhenWhat to do
January 27 – February 10Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 10 – February 24Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 10 – March 24Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 7 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 7Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 16Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 30 onwardPlant 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 74401 is 5 miles from Muskogee, OK, which stands at 518 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 74403 (Muskogee). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 74401 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.

Frost dates across Oklahoma →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 7b places in Oklahoma