USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76133 — Fort Worth, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Benbrook Dam, TX (790 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Fort Worth, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 14 in half of years and has passed by April 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 16, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 245 days (NOAA, Benbrook Dam, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 14
- First fall frost
- November 16
- Growing season
- 245 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 Benbrook Dam, TX see their last 32°F night by March 14; only one in ten is past it by February 25, and one in ten still has one after April 3. Planting tender crops after March 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 29 20%, and after April 3 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 21, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 245 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 271 days one year in ten and falls short of 220 one year in ten. On average 43 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 30, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 55%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 28°F | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F55% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F55% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Benbrook Dam, 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 76133 →Compare Fort Worth with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Worth
July is the warmest month at Benbrook Dam, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 33°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 81% of years and April still brings one in 15% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,430 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,557) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,088. Precipitation totals 36.2 inches a year, most in May (4.5") and least in July (1.9"); 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 | 33 | 2.2 | 100% | 15 | 65 |
| Feb | 63 | 37 | 2.4 | 98% | 9 | 112 |
| Mar | 70 | 45 | 3.2 | 81% | 4 | 267 |
| Apr | 78 | 52 | 3.2 | 15% | <1 | 452 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 722 |
| Jun | 93 | 70 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Jul | 97 | 73 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 1088 |
| Aug | 98 | 73 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 1088 |
| Sep | 90 | 65 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Oct | 81 | 54 | 4.3 | 10% | <1 | 542 |
| Nov | 69 | 44 | 2.7 | 78% | 4 | 232 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 2.4 | 100% | 11 | 90 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Benbrook Dam, TX (790 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 NAS, TX, 9 miles northwest of Fort Worth and 182 feet lower, has a last frost 11 days earlier (March 3), a first frost 11 days later (November 27), a season 25 days longer.
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, 3.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76133
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 3 – January 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 16 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 76133 is 4 miles from Benbrook Dam, TX, which stands at 790 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76133 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.