USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 76431 — Chico, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bridgeport, TX (769 ft), 8 miles southeast.
Updated
In Chico, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Bridgeport, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 222 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chico
Half of springs at Bridgeport, TX see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 11, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 16 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 75% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, shorter than at 84% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 245 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 61 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 10, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 83%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F83% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 |
| 16°F83% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bridgeport, 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 76431 →Compare Chico with another place →
Weather by month in Chico
July is the warmest month at Bridgeport, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,914 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 351 Texas stations. 39% of them (2,319) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,049. Precipitation totals 33.3 inches a year, most in May (4.6") and least in January (1.7"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 31 | 1.7 | 100% | 18 | 44 |
| Feb | 60 | 35 | 2.2 | 100% | 12 | 80 |
| Mar | 68 | 42 | 2.8 | 97% | 5 | 213 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 3.0 | 42% | 1 | 406 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 96 | 72 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 1049 |
| Aug | 96 | 71 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 1038 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 784 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 3.9 | 24% | 1 | 476 |
| Nov | 67 | 41 | 2.2 | 96% | 7 | 187 |
| Dec | 58 | 33 | 1.9 | 100% | 17 | 60 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bridgeport, TX (769 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, Alvord 3 N, TX, 10 miles northeast of Chico and 241 feet higher, has a last frost 3 days later (April 1), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 4), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Chico, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Decatur, TX, 14.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76431
| 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 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 76431 is 8 miles from Bridgeport, TX, which stands at 769 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 76426 (Bridgeport). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76431 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.