TULSA, Okla. November is here, but temperatures across Tulsa have yet to drop below 40 this fall.The last time Tulsa recorded a freezing temperature was March 17, when the low dropped to 28. Since then, temperatures have remain ed above freezing, with the coolest reading so far this fall occurring on October 17, when Tulsa dipped to 40. This makes Tulsa's growing season (defined as the number of days between the last and first freeze of the season) longer than the average 218 days at 232 days and counting as of November 4.According to historical records, November 3 is the average date for Tulsa's first 32 freeze of the fall season. That means we've already passed the typical date without seeing temperatures even close to the freezing mark.Not all freezes have the same impact. A temperature of 32 is generally considered a light freeze, with frost potentially developing and damaging sensitive plants. When temperatures drop to 28, it's considered a hard freeze, which can cause more widespread damage to vegetation. A temperature of 24 is considered a killing freeze, which can cause significant damage to plants and typically brings an end to the growing season for many types of vegetation.The average first 28 hard freeze is November 14. The average first occurrence of a 24 killing freeze is November 26. Of course, these dates can vary considerably from year to year depending on weather patterns.While Tulsa is still waiting on its first freeze this fall, climatology shows that freezing temperatures can arrive much earlier. The earliest first 32 freeze on record occurred on October 7, 2012. The earliest first 28 freeze was recorded on October 9, 2000, while the earliest first 24 freeze occurred on October 24, 1917.These records highlight just how much temperatures can vary across eastern Oklahoma during the fall season, with some years bringing early blasts of cold air and others allowing warmer weather to linger well into November.The weather pattern into mid-November does not support much colder air across our region. Arctic air is locked up well to the north of U.S./Canadian border for some time due to the jet stream pattern. As a result, no significant cold front is in sight. This limits how dry, and therefore, how cold the air can get at night. The strong El Nio pattern also can inhibit Arctic air from dropping as readily into the southern United States. For these reasons, we expect a much later than average first freeze for Tulsa.The latest first freeze for the city occurred on November 28, 1990. While going that long without a freeze is rare given the lack of daylight, there is a chance the 2026 first freeze is closer to the record than the average date. Watch the video version of this story to see how many more days before Tulsa could have a record long growing season. ...read more read less