USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76116 — Fort Worth, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fort Worth NAS, TX (608 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Fort Worth, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 3 in half of years and has passed by March 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 27, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 270 days (NOAA, Fort Worth NAS, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 3
- First fall frost
- November 27
- Growing season
- 270 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 NAS, TX see their last 32°F night by March 3; only one in ten is past it by February 12, and one in ten still has one after March 22. Planting tender crops after March 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 22 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 27 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 10, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 270 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 296 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 one year in ten. On average 26 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 16, and return around November 14. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 87% of winters and 16°F in 19%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 32°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F51% of yrs | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F51% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fort Worth NAS, 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 76116 →Compare Fort Worth with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Worth
July is the warmest month at Fort Worth NAS, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 77°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 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,949 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,826) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,138. Precipitation totals 32.6 inches a year, most in June (4.2") and least in August (1.8"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 37 | 1.9 | 99% | 10 | 94 |
| Feb | 63 | 41 | 2.1 | 91% | 6 | 143 |
| Mar | 70 | 49 | 3.2 | 58% | 1 | 322 |
| Apr | 78 | 56 | 2.5 | 2% | 0 | 510 |
| May | 85 | 65 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 981 |
| Jul | 97 | 77 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1138 |
| Aug | 97 | 76 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 1133 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 889 |
| Oct | 79 | 58 | 3.9 | 3% | 0 | 579 |
| Nov | 68 | 48 | 2.6 | 58% | 2 | 271 |
| Dec | 60 | 40 | 2.2 | 95% | 7 | 114 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Worth NAS, TX (608 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, Benbrook Dam, TX, 5 miles south of Fort Worth and 182 feet higher, has a last frost 11 days later (March 14), a first frost 11 days earlier (November 16), a season 25 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, 5.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76116
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 23 – January 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 6 – January 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 27 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 76116 is 3 miles from Fort Worth NAS, TX, which stands at 608 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76116 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.