USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 76207 — Denton, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Denton Municipal Airport, TX (642 ft), 3 miles southwest.
Updated
In Denton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Denton Municipal Airport, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 227 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
- 40%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Denton
Half of springs at Denton Municipal Airport, TX see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 17 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% 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 7 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, shorter than at 79% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 52 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 April 8, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 73%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Jan 29 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Dec 21 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Denton Municipal Airport, 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 76207 →Compare Denton with another place →
Weather by month in Denton
July is the warmest month at Denton Municipal Airport, TX, averaging 96°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 November 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 89% of years and April still brings one in 37% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,021 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 351 Texas stations. 39% of them (2,377) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,068. Precipitation totals 35.7 inches a year, most in May (4.5") and least in July (1.8"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 1.9 | 100% | 16 | 50 |
| Feb | 60 | 36 | 2.5 | 99% | 10 | 91 |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 3.1 | 89% | 4 | 238 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 3.4 | 37% | 1 | 403 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Jul | 96 | 73 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 1068 |
| Aug | 96 | 73 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 1055 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 4.2 | 29% | <1 | 475 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 2.7 | 92% | 5 | 193 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 2.8 | 100% | 15 | 65 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Denton Municipal Airport, TX (642 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, Denton 2 SE, TX, 5 miles southeast of Denton, has a last frost 11 days earlier (March 13), a first frost 13 days later (November 20), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Denton, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Denton 2 SE, TX, 4.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76207
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 76207 is 3 miles from Denton Municipal Airport, TX, which stands at 642 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 76226 (Argyle). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76207 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.