USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76531 — Hamilton, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Evant 1SSW, TX (1,245 ft), 16 miles south.
Updated
In Hamilton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 247 days (NOAA, Evant 1SSW, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 247 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
- 28%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hamilton
Half of springs at Evant 1SSW, TX see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 25, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 27 20%, and after April 1 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 18 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 20, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 247 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 271 days one year in ten and falls short of 222 one year in ten. On average 39 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 14 days longer, to about March 29, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 45%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 32°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Evant 1SSW, 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 76531 →Compare Hamilton with another place →
Weather by month in Hamilton
August is the warmest month at Evant 1SSW, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 83% of years and April still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,227 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,475) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,049. Precipitation totals 31.6 inches a year, most in May (4.1") and least in August (1.5"); 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 | 34 | 2.0 | 100% | 14 | 69 |
| Feb | 62 | 37 | 2.2 | 99% | 7 | 101 |
| Mar | 69 | 44 | 2.1 | 83% | 3 | 252 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 3.1 | 11% | <1 | 449 |
| May | 84 | 61 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 906 |
| Jul | 95 | 71 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 1022 |
| Aug | 96 | 72 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 1049 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 816 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 3.3 | 7% | <1 | 545 |
| Nov | 69 | 44 | 2.3 | 79% | 4 | 231 |
| Dec | 61 | 36 | 2.0 | 100% | 11 | 89 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Evant 1SSW, TX (1,245 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, Hico, TX, 21 miles north of Hamilton and 202 feet lower, has a last frost 9 days later (March 24), a first frost 11 days earlier (November 7), a season 18 days shorter.
When it snows in Hamilton, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Evant 1SSW, TX, 16.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76531
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 4 – January 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 76531 is 16 miles from Evant 1SSW, TX, which stands at 1,245 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76531 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.