USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76457 — Hico, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hico, TX (1,043 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Hico, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 11 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 229 days (NOAA, Hico, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 229 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
- 22%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hico
Half of springs at Hico, TX see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 4, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 11 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 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 229 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 254 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 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 12 days longer, to about April 5, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 77%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F77% of yrs | Dec 20 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F77% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 25 | Feb 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hico, 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 76457 →Compare Hico with another place →
Weather by month in Hico
July is the warmest month at Hico, TX, averaging 94°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 32°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 30% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,955 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 74% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,394) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,025. Precipitation totals 36.1 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in July (2.1"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 32 | 2.4 | 100% | 17 | 54 |
| Feb | 62 | 35 | 2.8 | 100% | 10 | 85 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 3.0 | 90% | 4 | 239 |
| Apr | 77 | 51 | 3.1 | 30% | 1 | 432 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 684 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 1025 |
| Aug | 96 | 71 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 1024 |
| Sep | 88 | 63 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 762 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 3.8 | 23% | <1 | 480 |
| Nov | 68 | 42 | 2.2 | 93% | 6 | 202 |
| Dec | 59 | 33 | 2.1 | 100% | 16 | 68 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hico, TX (1,043 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, 18 miles northwest of Hico and 425 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 16), a first frost 9 days later (November 16), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Hico, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hico, TX, 2.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76457
| 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 76457 is 3 miles from Hico, TX, which stands at 1,043 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76457 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.