USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 74647 — Newkirk, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newkirk 5NE, OK (1,142 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Newkirk, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 192 days (NOAA, Newkirk 5NE, OK).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 192 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 17
- Last snow
- March 1
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- 8.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Newkirk
Half of springs at Newkirk 5NE, OK see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after April 30 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 96% of the 114 Oklahoma stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 26 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 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 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 170 one year in ten. On average 98 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 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 20°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newkirk 5NE, 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 74647 →Compare Newkirk with another place →
Weather by month in Newkirk
July is the warmest month at Newkirk 5NE, OK, averaging 92°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°F and 22°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 88% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,463 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 36% of them (1,598) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 941. Precipitation totals 39.3 inches a year, most in May (5.7") and least in January (1.1"); May to September bring 58% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 22 | 1.1 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Feb | 50 | 25 | 1.6 | 100% | 20 | 18 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 2.7 | 100% | 12 | 88 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 4.2 | 88% | 3 | 223 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.7 | 9% | 0 | 493 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Jul | 92 | 69 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Aug | 91 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 3.1 | 2% | 0 | 630 |
| Oct | 72 | 47 | 3.6 | 69% | 2 | 308 |
| Nov | 59 | 34 | 1.8 | 100% | 12 | 77 |
| Dec | 47 | 25 | 1.6 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newkirk 5NE, OK (1,142 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, Ponca City Municipal Airport, OK, 12 miles south of Newkirk, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 1 day later (October 27), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Newkirk, Oklahoma
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Newkirk usually arrives around December 17, and the last of the season around March 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Newkirk 5NE, OK, 4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 74647
| 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 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 74647 is 4 miles from Newkirk 5NE, OK, which stands at 1,142 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 74647 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.