USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76642 — Groesbeck, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mexia, TX (503 ft), 8 miles northeast.
Updated
In Groesbeck, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by April 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 22, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 251 days (NOAA, Mexia, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 22
- Growing season
- 251 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
- 6%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Groesbeck
Half of springs at Mexia, TX see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after April 4. Planting tender crops after March 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 29 20%, and after April 4 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 22 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 24, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 251 days in a typical year, longer than at 53% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 279 days one year in ten and falls short of 223 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 29, and return around November 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 93% of winters and 16°F in 28%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 4 |
| 28°F | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 24 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F28% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 21 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 14 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Feb 6 |
| 16°F28% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mexia, 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 76642 →Compare Groesbeck with another place →
Weather by month in Groesbeck
August is the warmest month at Mexia, TX, averaging 98°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°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 14% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,589 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 58% of the 351 Texas stations. 39% of them (2,590) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,086.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 36 | 99% | 13 | 79 |
| Feb | 64 | 40 | 92% | 6 | 126 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 77% | 3 | 293 |
| Apr | 78 | 52 | 14% | 0 | 459 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Jul | 95 | 73 | 0% | 0 | 1055 |
| Aug | 98 | 73 | 0% | 0 | 1086 |
| Sep | 91 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 877 |
| Oct | 83 | 56 | 4% | <1 | 604 |
| Nov | 71 | 45 | 70% | 4 | 273 |
| Dec | 61 | 38 | 98% | 8 | 105 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mexia, TX (503 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, Fairfield 3W, TX, 24 miles northeast of Groesbeck, has a last frost 3 days later (March 16), a first frost 8 days earlier (November 14), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Groesbeck, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Mexia, TX, 8.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76642
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 2 – January 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 22 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 76642 is 8 miles from Mexia, TX, which stands at 503 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 76667 (Mexia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76642 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.