USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 74953 — Poteau, Oklahoma
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wister 3S, OK (525 ft), 9 miles southwest.
Updated
In Poteau, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 210 days (NOAA, Wister 3S, OK).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 210 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 28%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Poteau
Half of springs at Wister 3S, OK see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 24 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 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 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 15, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 210 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 114 Oklahoma stations; it reaches 235 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 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 9 days longer, to about April 15, and return around October 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 25 and February 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 22 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wister 3S, 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 74953 →Compare Poteau with another place →
Weather by month in Poteau
July is the warmest month at Wister 3S, OK, averaging 93°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 27°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 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,156 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 53% of the 114 Oklahoma stations. 38% of them (1,935) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 986.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 27 | 100% | 22 | 23 |
| Feb | 56 | 32 | 100% | 16 | 50 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 98% | 9 | 141 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 62% | 2 | 306 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Aug | 93 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 44% | 1 | 400 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 98% | 8 | 138 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 | 100% | 18 | 37 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wister 3S, OK (525 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, Mc Curtain 1 SE, OK, 21 miles west of Poteau, has a last frost 14 days earlier (March 23), a first frost 3 days later (November 5), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Poteau, Oklahoma
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Spiro, OK, 13.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 74953
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 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 74953 is 9 miles from Wister 3S, OK, which stands at 525 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 74953 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.