USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 75691 — Tatum, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Longview WSMO, TX (407 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Tatum, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 11 in half of years and has passed by March 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 250 days (NOAA, Longview WSMO, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 11
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 250 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
- 21%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tatum
Half of springs at Longview WSMO, TX see their last 32°F night by March 11; only one in ten is past it by February 20, and one in ten still has one after March 30. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 24 20%, and after March 30 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 17 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 18, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 250 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 278 days one year in ten and falls short of 226 one year in ten. On average 29 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 15 days longer, to about March 26, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 95% of winters and 16°F in 26%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 20°F68% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 21 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 16 |
| 20°F68% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Longview WSMO, 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 75691 →Compare Tatum with another place →
Weather by month in Tatum
August is the warmest month at Longview WSMO, TX, averaging 94°F by day and 72°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 73% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,140 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,480) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,010. Precipitation totals 50.3 inches a year, most in December (5.0") and least in July (2.9"); 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 | 4.3 | 99% | 11 | 77 |
| Feb | 61 | 40 | 4.2 | 97% | 6 | 115 |
| Mar | 69 | 47 | 4.7 | 73% | 2 | 270 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 4.6 | 8% | 0 | 443 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Aug | 94 | 72 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 1010 |
| Sep | 88 | 66 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 804 |
| Oct | 78 | 55 | 4.5 | 9% | <1 | 513 |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 4.2 | 76% | 3 | 228 |
| Dec | 59 | 38 | 5.0 | 100% | 8 | 97 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Longview WSMO, TX (407 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, Hallsville 4 S, TX, 10 miles north of Tatum, has a last frost 4 days later (March 15), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 15), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Tatum, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 29 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Longview WSMO, TX, 7.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 75691
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 31 – January 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 14 – January 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 17 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 75691 is 7 miles from Longview WSMO, TX, which stands at 407 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 75691 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.