USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 76567 — Rockdale, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cameron, TX (364 ft), 14 miles north.
Updated
In Rockdale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 6 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 23, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 261 days (NOAA, Cameron, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 6
- First fall frost
- November 23
- Growing season
- 261 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rockdale
Half of springs at Cameron, TX see their last 32°F night by March 6; only one in ten is past it by February 7, and one in ten still has one after March 27. Planting tender crops after March 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 20 20%, and after March 27 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 23 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 15, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 261 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 297 days one year in ten and falls short of 231 one year in ten. On average 28 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 March 18, and return around November 11. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 87% of winters and 16°F in 27%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 8 |
| 32°F | Feb 7 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 30 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 20°F59% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F27% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 20 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 12 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F59% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 30 | Feb 11 |
| 16°F27% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cameron, 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 76567 →Compare Rockdale with another place →
Weather by month in Rockdale
August is the warmest month at Cameron, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 82% of years and March still brings one in 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,901 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 66% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,899) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,046. Precipitation totals 38.6 inches a year, most in May (5.3") and least in April (2.3"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 2.6 | 93% | 10 | 116 |
| Feb | 66 | 43 | 2.4 | 82% | 5 | 184 |
| Mar | 72 | 50 | 2.9 | 60% | 2 | 359 |
| Apr | 78 | 57 | 2.3 | 7% | <1 | 529 |
| May | 85 | 65 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Jun | 91 | 72 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 1031 |
| Aug | 95 | 73 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 1046 |
| Sep | 90 | 68 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 4.3 | 6% | <1 | 596 |
| Nov | 71 | 48 | 3.1 | 64% | 3 | 310 |
| Dec | 63 | 41 | 3.1 | 86% | 9 | 156 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cameron, TX (364 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, Lexington, TX, 17 miles south of Rockdale, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 5), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 21), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Rockdale, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Rockdale, TX, 1.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76567
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 26 – January 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 9 – January 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 23 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 76567 is 14 miles from Cameron, TX, which stands at 364 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76567 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.