USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 75180 — Balch Springs, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ferris, TX (470 ft), 13 miles south.
Updated
In Balch Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 253 days (NOAA, Ferris, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 253 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 22%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Balch Springs
Half of springs at Ferris, TX see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 63% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 19 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 19, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 253 days in a typical year, longer than at 56% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 277 days one year in ten and falls short of 227 one year in ten. On average 40 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 14 days longer, to about March 26, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 31%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 |
| 20°F72% of yrs | Dec 23 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 28°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 22 |
| 20°F72% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Feb 7 |
| 16°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ferris, TX, 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 75180 →Compare Balch Springs with another place →
Weather by month in Balch Springs
August is the warmest month at Ferris, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,414 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,563) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,082. Precipitation totals 41.0 inches a year, most in October (4.9") and least in July (2.0"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 36 | 3.0 | 99% | 13 | 72 |
| Feb | 62 | 39 | 3.1 | 94% | 8 | 115 |
| Mar | 69 | 45 | 4.0 | 75% | 3 | 262 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 3.9 | 9% | <1 | 452 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 729 |
| Jun | 92 | 71 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Jul | 96 | 74 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1076 |
| Aug | 97 | 73 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 1082 |
| Sep | 90 | 66 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 843 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 4.9 | 7% | <1 | 539 |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 2.8 | 75% | 4 | 227 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 3.5 | 99% | 12 | 85 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ferris, TX (470 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, Dallas Redbird Airport, TX, 15 miles west of Balch Springs and 188 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 6), a first frost 6 days later (November 25), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Balch Springs, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Ferris, TX, 13.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 75180
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 75180 is 13 miles from Ferris, TX, which stands at 470 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 75181 (Mesquite). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 75180 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.