USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76135 — Fort Worth, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fort Worth Nature Ctr, TX (615 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Fort Worth, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by April 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 253 days (NOAA, Fort Worth Nature Ctr, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 253 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 Nature Ctr, TX see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after April 2. Planting tender crops after March 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 2 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 20 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around December 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 22, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 253 days in a typical year, longer than at 56% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 280 days one year in ten and falls short of 225 one year in ten. On average 40 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 15 days longer, to about March 28, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 42%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 22 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 17 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fort Worth Nature Ctr, 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 76135 →Compare Fort Worth with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Worth
July is the warmest month at Fort Worth Nature Ctr, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°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 October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 76% of years and April still brings one in 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,470 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,561) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,110.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 62 |
| Feb | 61 | 38 | 98% | 9 | 115 |
| Mar | 69 | 46 | 76% | 3 | 267 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 13% | 0 | 452 |
| May | 83 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Jul | 97 | 75 | 0% | 0 | 1110 |
| Aug | 97 | 74 | 0% | 0 | 1100 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 8% | <1 | 530 |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 71% | 3 | 237 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 100% | 11 | 87 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Worth Nature Ctr, TX (615 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, 4 miles south of Fort Worth, has a last frost 10 days earlier (March 3), a first frost 7 days later (November 27), a season 17 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, 12.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76135
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 2 – January 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 76135 is 2 miles from Fort Worth Nature Ctr, TX, which stands at 615 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 76179 (Fort Worth). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76135 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.