The Southeast Texas Interior Zone
Weather Data for Southeast Texas
By Bob Randall,Ph.D.
Fall 2007
- Weather data main page - introduction
- Weather data for the Southeast Texas Interior Zone
- Weather data for the Southeast Texas Urban Near Coastal Zone
- Weather data for the Southeast Texas Not Urban Near Coastal Zone
- Weather data for the Texas Upper Gulf Coastal Zone
About The Southeast Texas Interior Zone
This zone defines an area more than 75 miles from the Gulf Coast and up to 150 miles from it. None of it is densly urban and much of it is rural or lightly settled. It is by far the coldest part of the Metropolitan Houston area. Semitropical plants can be grown there only with extreme care, but many more varieites of deciduous fruit tree varieties of pears, apples, and stone fruit are easier to grow than further south. Even asparagus and rhubarb and some northern bulbs may be possible in parts of this zone.
About Chill
The first table below describes chill. Chill is a measurement useful in determining which temperate climate fruit trees (and other temperate plants) will do well in a local winter. Temperate climate plants have ways to go dormant in winter and wake in spring, and have mechanisms for counting chill units during winter so they will "awaken" after the worst cold and soon enough to produce leaves, flowers and fruit in spring. In this zone, freezes come early enough in December to create chill. As further south, in some years chill is accumulated only in January, but in this zone, in other years it accumulates in December and January. Many varieties of apples and some cherries and pears should do well here that do not do well in the areas further south.
NWS |
NWS |
AP |
AP |
AP |
AP |
NWS |
NWS |
|
1997-07 |
1998-07 |
2000-2007 |
1997-07 |
1997-07 |
1997-07 |
1997-07 |
1997-07 |
|
| Chill Units | La
Grange |
Columbus |
Tomball |
Conroe |
Huntsville |
College
Station |
Cleveland |
Livingston |
| Below 400 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
| 400-599 | 40% |
44% |
29% |
18% |
10% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
| 600-799 | 30% |
22% |
29% |
27% |
40% |
70% |
60% |
30% |
| 800-999 | 30% |
11% |
43% |
36% |
40% |
10% |
20% |
40% |
| 1000-1199 | 0% |
22% |
0% |
18% |
10% |
20% |
20% |
30% |
| Above 1200 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
About Yearly Low Temperatures
The next two tables describe experiences with yearly low temperatures. The low temperature for the year defines in an important way how well tropical and semi-tropical plants will survive. Many varieties of healthy citrus trees will survive 22˚ with no damage, while papayas have trouble below 30˚ and mangoes at 26˚. There are other issues related to this--how dormant the plant is, how healthy it is, how many hours the temperature stays at this number, and how thick the trees limbs are. The first table below describes the month of the year's lowest temperature and the second table describes what the temperature was.
AP |
AP |
AP |
AP |
|
2000-2007 |
1997-07 |
1997-07 |
1997-07 |
|
Month of Min Temp |
Tomball |
Conroe |
Huntsville |
College
Station |
| November | 10% |
|||
| December | 43% |
30% |
20% |
40% |
| January | 14% |
43% |
50% |
40% |
| February | 36% |
23% |
20% |
15% |
| March | 7% |
4% |
5% |
|
2000-2007 |
1997-07 |
1997-07 |
1997-07 |
|
Min Yearly Temperature |
Tomball |
Conroe |
Huntsville |
College
Station |
| Below 15 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
| 15-17 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
10% |
| 18-20 | 14% |
10% |
30% |
10% |
| 21-23 | 0% |
40% |
30% |
10% |
| 24-26 | 43% |
30% |
20% |
60% |
| 27-29 | 43% |
20% |
20% |
10% |
| Above 29 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
About Frosts in the Interior Zone
Knowing when the first and last freezes of the winter will occur at a location helps gardeners in many ways. If some of one's plants may be damaged, one can be ready to protect them. The number of frosts over the entire winter, by contrast, gives a measure of how frequently one may need to protect something. If you typically have 30 freezes, it is probably foolish to grow either papayas or tomatoes outside except in a greenhouse. But if there are typically only one or two frosts or none, it can be worthwhile to protect a single plant planted in a north-wind-protected place outside.
This zone has very frequent freezes every winter with lows in the high teens, so citrus other than kumquats and perhaps satsumas on trifoliate should only be tried in protected places. As well, planting dates for fall vegetables will be very important since hard freezes will ruin many cool weather vegetables. At the same time, brussels sprouts, rhubarb, asparagus, and cherries should do well.
2000-2007 |
1997-07 |
2001-07 |
1997-07 |
|
| Freeze #s | Tomball |
Conroe |
Huntsville |
College
Station |
| less than 8 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
| 8 to 12 | 43% |
0% |
14% |
20% |
| 13 to 19 | 43% |
29% |
43% |
60% |
| 20 to 26 | 14% |
29% |
29% |
20% |
| 27 to 33 | 0% |
29% |
14% |
0% |
| 34 to 40 | 0% |
14% |
0% |
0% |
| Over 40 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
2000-2007 |
1997-07 |
2001-07 |
1997-07 |
|
| First Frost | Tomball |
Conroe |
Huntsville |
College
Station |
| Before Nov 1 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
| Nov 1 to 15 | 14% |
10% |
10% |
20% |
| Nov 16-30 | 43% |
70% |
60% |
20% |
| Dec 1-15 | 43% |
20% |
20% |
50% |
| Dec 16-31 | 0% |
0% |
10% |
10% |
| After Dec 31 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
2000-2007 |
1997-07 |
2001-07 |
1997-07 |
|
| Last Frost | Tomball |
Conroe |
Huntsville |
College
Station |
| Before Jan 16 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
| Jan 16-31 | 14% |
10% |
20% |
10% |
| Feb 1-14 | 43% |
40% |
20% |
30% |
| Feb 16-29 | 14% |
0% |
20% |
10% |
| Mar 1-15 | 29% |
30% |
30% |
40% |
| Mar 16-31 | 0% |
20% |
10% |
10% |
| After Mar 31 | 0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
