USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76633 — China Spring, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Waco Regional Airport, TX (500 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In China Spring, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 245 days (NOAA, Waco Regional Airport, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 245 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
- 40%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
12 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in China Spring
Half of springs at Waco Regional Airport, TX see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 24, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 30 20%, and after April 6 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 63% 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 15 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 13 days later, around November 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 24, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 245 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 273 days one year in ten and falls short of 219 one year in ten. On average 34 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 16 days longer, to about March 31, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 30%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 24 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F75% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F75% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Feb 6 |
| 16°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Waco Regional Airport, 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 76633 →Compare China Spring with another place →
Weather by month in China Spring
July is the warmest month at Waco Regional Airport, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 36°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 77% of years and April still brings one in 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,714 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,713) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,102. Precipitation totals 36.5 inches a year, most in May (4.4") and least in July (1.8"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 36 | 2.6 | 100% | 12 | 80 |
| Feb | 63 | 40 | 2.7 | 95% | 6 | 132 |
| Mar | 70 | 47 | 3.3 | 77% | 3 | 301 |
| Apr | 78 | 55 | 3.3 | 17% | <1 | 490 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Jun | 93 | 71 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 957 |
| Jul | 97 | 74 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 1102 |
| Aug | 97 | 74 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 1100 |
| Sep | 91 | 67 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Oct | 81 | 56 | 4.4 | 10% | <1 | 575 |
| Nov | 69 | 46 | 2.7 | 83% | 4 | 258 |
| Dec | 60 | 38 | 2.9 | 100% | 10 | 103 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Waco Regional Airport, TX (500 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, Waco Dam, TX, 8 miles southeast of China Spring, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 9), a first frost 5 days later (November 20), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in China Spring, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 12 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Waco Regional Airport, TX, 6.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76633
| 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 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 76633 is 6 miles from Waco Regional Airport, TX, which stands at 500 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 76691 (West). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76633 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.