USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76055 — Itasca, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hillsboro, TX (550 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In Itasca, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 235 days (NOAA, Hillsboro, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 235 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
- 44%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Itasca
Half of springs at Hillsboro, TX see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by March 2, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 75% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 10 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 235 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 261 days one year in ten and falls short of 209 one year in ten. On average 37 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 12 days longer, to about April 2, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 66%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Jan 29 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F66% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F66% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 25 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hillsboro, 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 76055 →Compare Itasca with another place →
Weather by month in Itasca
August is the warmest month at Hillsboro, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 87% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,434 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 52% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,549) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,082. Precipitation totals 38.9 inches a year, most in October (5.1") and least in July (1.7"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 34 | 2.7 | 100% | 12 | 71 |
| Feb | 63 | 38 | 2.8 | 99% | 7 | 118 |
| Mar | 70 | 45 | 3.6 | 87% | 3 | 265 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 3.7 | 24% | <1 | 456 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Jun | 92 | 70 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 922 |
| Jul | 96 | 73 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 1066 |
| Aug | 97 | 73 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 1082 |
| Sep | 91 | 66 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 847 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 5.1 | 17% | <1 | 555 |
| Nov | 69 | 44 | 2.7 | 89% | 4 | 240 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 3.1 | 100% | 10 | 95 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hillsboro, TX (550 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, Cleburne, TX, 18 miles northwest of Itasca and 233 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 17), a first frost 2 days later (November 12), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Itasca, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Itasca 5SSW, TX, 4.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76055
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 10 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 76055 is 10 miles from Hillsboro, TX, which stands at 550 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 76645 (Hillsboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76055 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.