USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76401 — Stephenville, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stephenville, TX (1,290 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Stephenville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 226 days (NOAA, Stephenville, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 226 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Stephenville
Half of springs at Stephenville, TX see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 9, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 18 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 8 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 226 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 249 days one year in ten and falls short of 202 one year in ten. On average 54 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 11 days longer, to about April 9, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 74%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Dec 19 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 15 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stephenville, 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 76401 →Compare Stephenville with another place →
Weather by month in Stephenville
July is the warmest month at Stephenville, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 31°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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,145 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,465) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,052. Precipitation totals 34.1 inches a year, most in May (5.0") and least in January (1.8"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 31 | 1.8 | 100% | 17 | 58 |
| Feb | 63 | 35 | 2.2 | 100% | 11 | 100 |
| Mar | 70 | 42 | 2.8 | 94% | 5 | 251 |
| Apr | 79 | 50 | 2.9 | 40% | 1 | 440 |
| May | 86 | 60 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Jun | 93 | 68 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Jul | 97 | 71 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1052 |
| Aug | 98 | 70 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 1041 |
| Sep | 90 | 63 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 790 |
| Oct | 81 | 52 | 3.3 | 26% | 1 | 503 |
| Nov | 69 | 41 | 2.3 | 94% | 6 | 214 |
| Dec | 61 | 33 | 2.2 | 100% | 15 | 78 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stephenville, TX (1,290 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, Dublin 2SE, TX, 14 miles southwest of Stephenville and 178 feet higher, has a last frost 13 days earlier (March 16), a first frost 8 days later (November 16), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Stephenville, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 28 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Stephenville, TX, 1.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76401
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 76401 is 2 miles from Stephenville, TX, which stands at 1,290 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76401 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.