USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 75785 — Rusk, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rusk, TX (695 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Rusk, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 7 in half of years and has passed by March 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 25, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 263 days (NOAA, Rusk, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 7
- First fall frost
- November 25
- Growing season
- 263 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
- 14%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rusk
Half of springs at Rusk, TX see their last 32°F night by March 7; only one in ten is past it by February 15, and one in ten still has one after March 29. Planting tender crops after March 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 22 20%, and after March 29 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 63% 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 25 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around December 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 15, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 263 days in a typical year, longer than at 68% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 291 days one year in ten and falls short of 236 one year in ten. On average 27 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 16 days longer, to about March 23, and return around November 13. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 92% of winters and 16°F in 28%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 28°F | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F67% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 27 |
| 16°F28% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 |
| 28°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 |
| 20°F67% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 6 |
| 16°F28% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rusk, 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 75785 →Compare Rusk with another place →
Weather by month in Rusk
August is the warmest month at Rusk, TX, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 37°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 65% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,011 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,411) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 986. Precipitation totals 50.4 inches a year, most in December (4.9") and least in July (3.4"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 37 | 4.4 | 98% | 10 | 76 |
| Feb | 60 | 41 | 4.3 | 93% | 6 | 113 |
| Mar | 67 | 47 | 4.5 | 65% | 2 | 261 |
| Apr | 74 | 54 | 4.0 | 7% | <1 | 430 |
| May | 81 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Jun | 87 | 70 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 855 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 973 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Sep | 86 | 67 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Oct | 76 | 57 | 4.7 | 3% | <1 | 518 |
| Nov | 65 | 47 | 4.0 | 61% | 2 | 231 |
| Dec | 58 | 40 | 4.9 | 97% | 7 | 98 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rusk, TX (695 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, Jacksonville, TX, 13 miles northwest of Rusk, has a last frost 15 days later (March 22), a first frost 11 days earlier (November 14), a season 24 days shorter.
When it snows in Rusk, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Rusk, TX, 1.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 75785
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 27 – January 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 10 – January 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 25 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 75785 is 2 miles from Rusk, TX, which stands at 695 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 75785 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.