USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76102 — Fort Worth, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fort Worth Meacham Field Naaf, TX (705 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Fort Worth, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 5 in half of years and has passed by March 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 24, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 264 days (NOAA, Fort Worth Meacham Field Naaf, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 5
- First fall frost
- November 24
- Growing season
- 264 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fort Worth
Half of springs at Fort Worth Meacham Field Naaf, TX see their last 32°F night by March 5; only one in ten is past it by February 16, and one in ten still has one after March 25. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 25 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 51% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 24 in half of years, as early as November 3 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 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 12, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 264 days in a typical year, longer than at 68% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 292 days one year in ten and falls short of 237 one year in ten. On average 30 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 March 18, and return around November 11. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 95% of winters and 16°F in 32%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 32°F | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 28°F | Jan 26 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F67% of yrs | Dec 21 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 |
| 16°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 |
| 28°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 6 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 31 |
| 20°F67% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 5 |
| 16°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fort Worth Meacham Field Naaf, 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 76102 →Compare Fort Worth with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Worth
August is the warmest month at Fort Worth Meacham Field Naaf, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 76°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°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 61% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,864 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,811) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,128.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 37 | 100% | 10 | 86 |
| Feb | 64 | 40 | 95% | 7 | 146 |
| Mar | 71 | 49 | 61% | 2 | 326 |
| Apr | 78 | 56 | 4% | <1 | 520 |
| May | 86 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 761 |
| Jun | 93 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Jul | 97 | 76 | 0% | 0 | 1121 |
| Aug | 97 | 76 | 0% | 0 | 1128 |
| Sep | 89 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 858 |
| Oct | 80 | 58 | 7% | <1 | 589 |
| Nov | 68 | 47 | 62% | 2 | 255 |
| Dec | 59 | 39 | 95% | 9 | 103 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Worth Meacham Field Naaf, TX (705 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 Meacham Field, TX, 5 miles north of Fort Worth, has a last frost 6 days later (March 11), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 19), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Fort Worth, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Benbrook Dam, TX, 9.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76102
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 25 – January 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 24 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 76102 is 5 miles from Fort Worth Meacham Field Naaf, TX, which stands at 705 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 76119 (Fort Worth). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76102 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.