USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 76301 — Wichita Falls, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, TX (1,017 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Wichita Falls, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 228 days (NOAA, Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 228 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
- December 22
- Last snow
- February 5
- Winters with snow
- 70%
- Snow per year
- 3.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wichita Falls
Half of springs at Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, TX see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 14 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 228 days in a typical year, shorter than at 78% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 251 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 59 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 12 days longer, to about April 7, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 86%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wichita Falls 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 76301 →Compare Wichita Falls with another place →
Weather by month in Wichita Falls
July is the warmest month at Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 30°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,873 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 351 Texas stations. 39% of them (2,292) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,076. Precipitation totals 27.9 inches a year, most in May (3.8") and least in January (1.2"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 30 | 1.2 | 100% | 18 | 36 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 1.4 | 100% | 12 | 71 |
| Mar | 68 | 42 | 2.0 | 93% | 5 | 212 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 2.5 | 35% | 1 | 393 |
| May | 84 | 60 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Jun | 92 | 68 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Jul | 97 | 72 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1076 |
| Aug | 97 | 72 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 1055 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Oct | 77 | 52 | 2.9 | 21% | 1 | 462 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 1.6 | 94% | 6 | 164 |
| Dec | 56 | 32 | 1.6 | 100% | 16 | 44 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, TX (1,017 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, Henrietta, TX, 17 miles southeast of Wichita Falls, has a last frost 6 days later (April 1), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 8), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Wichita Falls, Texas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wichita Falls usually arrives around December 22, and the last of the season around February 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, TX, 4.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 70% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 76301
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 76301 is 5 miles from Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, TX, which stands at 1,017 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 76308 (Wichita Falls). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76301 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.