USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 75633 — Carthage, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carthage, TX (305 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Carthage, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 8 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 255 days (NOAA, Carthage, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 8
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 255 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
- 30%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Carthage
Half of springs at Carthage, TX see their last 32°F night by March 8; only one in ten is past it by February 19, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 24 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 72% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
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 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 16, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 255 days in a typical year, longer than at 59% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 283 days one year in ten and falls short of 227 one year in ten. On average 39 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 17 days longer, to about March 25, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 94% of winters and 16°F in 23%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 23 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 17 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 30 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carthage, 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 75633 →Compare Carthage with another place →
Weather by month in Carthage
July is the warmest month at Carthage, TX, averaging 92°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°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 68% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,160 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,504) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,017. Precipitation totals 52.1 inches a year, most in December (5.6") and least in August (3.4"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 36 | 4.7 | 99% | 13 | 75 |
| Feb | 61 | 40 | 4.2 | 91% | 8 | 113 |
| Mar | 69 | 46 | 4.9 | 68% | 3 | 269 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 4.7 | 9% | <1 | 446 |
| May | 83 | 63 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 707 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 894 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 1017 |
| Aug | 93 | 73 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 1017 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Oct | 78 | 55 | 4.5 | 5% | <1 | 507 |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 4.4 | 70% | 4 | 217 |
| Dec | 59 | 38 | 5.6 | 99% | 11 | 99 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Carthage, TX (305 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, Marshall, TX, 24 miles north of Carthage, has a last frost 12 days later (March 20), a first frost 8 days earlier (November 11), a season 22 days shorter.
When it snows in Carthage, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Carthage, TX, 1.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 75633
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 28 – January 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 11 – January 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 8 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 75633 is 2 miles from Carthage, TX, which stands at 305 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 75633 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.