USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76657 — Mc Gregor, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mcgregor, TX (723 ft), 1 miles north.
Updated
In Mc Gregor, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 249 days (NOAA, Mcgregor, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 249 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mc Gregor
Half of springs at Mcgregor, TX see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 23, and one in ten still has one after April 4. Planting tender crops after March 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 29 20%, and after April 4 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 51% 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 2 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 December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 21, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 249 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 277 days one year in ten and falls short of 222 one year in ten. On average 35 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 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 40%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 4 |
| 28°F | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F81% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 22 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F81% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Feb 5 |
| 16°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mcgregor, 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 76657 →Compare Mc Gregor with another place →
Weather by month in Mc Gregor
August is the warmest month at Mcgregor, 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 78% of years and April still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,185 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 351 Texas stations. 39% of them (2,431) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,049. Precipitation totals 38.1 inches a year, most in May (4.9") and least in August (2.2"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 34 | 2.6 | 100% | 13 | 63 |
| Feb | 62 | 38 | 2.7 | 97% | 7 | 105 |
| Mar | 69 | 45 | 3.4 | 78% | 2 | 251 |
| Apr | 77 | 52 | 3.0 | 12% | <1 | 424 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.9 | 2% | <1 | 688 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 95 | 72 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 1032 |
| Aug | 96 | 72 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 1049 |
| Sep | 90 | 65 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 820 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 4.6 | 8% | <1 | 541 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 2.8 | 80% | 2 | 229 |
| Dec | 61 | 36 | 2.8 | 100% | 10 | 82 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mcgregor, TX (723 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, 17 miles northeast of Mc Gregor and 228 feet lower, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 9), a first frost 2 days later (November 20), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Mc Gregor, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Mcgregor, TX, 1.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76657
| 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 76657 is 1 mile from Mcgregor, TX, which stands at 723 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76657 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.