USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 76384 — Vernon, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Vernon, TX (1,210 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Vernon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 225 days (NOAA, Vernon, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 225 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
- 48%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Vernon
Half of springs at Vernon, TX see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 15 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 24 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 March 31, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 225 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 253 days one year in ten and falls short of 200 one year in ten. On average 71 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 April 9, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 85%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F85% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 16°F85% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Vernon, 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 76384 →Compare Vernon with another place →
Weather by month in Vernon
July is the warmest month at Vernon, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 29°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,840 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 79% of the 351 Texas stations. 39% of them (2,271) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,082. Precipitation totals 28.5 inches a year, most in June (4.1") and least in January (1.2"); May to September bring 56% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 29 | 1.2 | 100% | 22 | 27 |
| Feb | 59 | 31 | 1.2 | 100% | 15 | 47 |
| Mar | 68 | 41 | 2.1 | 92% | 6 | 210 |
| Apr | 76 | 48 | 2.6 | 36% | 1 | 379 |
| May | 85 | 60 | 3.7 | 1% | 0 | 687 |
| Jun | 93 | 69 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 922 |
| Jul | 97 | 73 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 1082 |
| Aug | 97 | 72 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 1057 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 778 |
| Oct | 78 | 51 | 2.5 | 23% | <1 | 463 |
| Nov | 65 | 39 | 1.6 | 95% | 7 | 157 |
| Dec | 56 | 31 | 1.3 | 100% | 20 | 33 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Vernon, TX (1,210 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, Altus AFB, OK, 24 miles northeast of Vernon, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 26), a first frost 1 day later (November 10), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Vernon, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Vernon, TX, 1.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76384
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 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 76384 is 2 miles from Vernon, TX, which stands at 1,210 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76384 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.