USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 76085 — Weatherford, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Weatherford, TX (955 ft), 8 miles southwest.
Updated
In Weatherford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Weatherford, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 230 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 20%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Weatherford
Half of springs at Weatherford, TX see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 4, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 15 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% 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 8 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 203 one year in ten. On average 61 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 13 days longer, to about April 7, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 69%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F69% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F69% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Weatherford, 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 76085 →Compare Weatherford with another place →
Weather by month in Weatherford
July is the warmest month at Weatherford, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,939 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 74% of the 351 Texas stations. 39% of them (2,345) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,046. Precipitation totals 35.4 inches a year, most in May (4.4") and least in July (1.9"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 2.0 | 100% | 19 | 48 |
| Feb | 60 | 36 | 2.6 | 100% | 12 | 85 |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 3.0 | 91% | 6 | 230 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 2.7 | 36% | 1 | 416 |
| May | 82 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Jun | 90 | 69 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Jul | 95 | 73 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 1046 |
| Aug | 95 | 72 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 1034 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 776 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 3.8 | 27% | 1 | 477 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 3.0 | 90% | 7 | 196 |
| Dec | 58 | 34 | 2.3 | 100% | 16 | 65 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Weatherford, TX (955 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, Fort Worth Nature Ctr, TX, 13 miles east of Weatherford and 340 feet lower, has a last frost 12 days earlier (March 13), a first frost 12 days later (November 20), a season 23 days longer.
When it snows in Weatherford, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Weatherford, TX, 8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76085
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 76085 is 8 miles from Weatherford, TX, which stands at 955 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 76087 (Willow Park). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76085 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.