USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76664 — Mart, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marlin, TX (407 ft), 17 miles south.
Updated
In Mart, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 234 days (NOAA, Marlin, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 234 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
- 11%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mart
Half of springs at Marlin, TX see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 27, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 10 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 234 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 259 days one year in ten and falls short of 208 one year in ten. On average 38 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 13 days longer, to about April 3, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 63%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Feb 27 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 10 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 12 | Feb 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 29 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 8 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marlin, 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 76664 →Compare Mart with another place →
Weather by month in Mart
August is the warmest month at Marlin, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 82% of years and April still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,146 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,443) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,026. Precipitation totals 39.0 inches a year, most in May (5.0") and least in July (1.8"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 34 | 3.3 | 100% | 13 | 67 |
| Feb | 63 | 37 | 2.9 | 98% | 7 | 111 |
| Mar | 69 | 45 | 3.7 | 82% | 3 | 253 |
| Apr | 77 | 52 | 3.4 | 27% | <1 | 440 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 883 |
| Jul | 95 | 71 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 1020 |
| Aug | 96 | 71 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 1026 |
| Sep | 90 | 64 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 808 |
| Oct | 81 | 54 | 4.3 | 15% | <1 | 537 |
| Nov | 69 | 42 | 2.9 | 93% | 4 | 223 |
| Dec | 61 | 35 | 3.4 | 100% | 11 | 88 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Marlin, TX (407 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, Mexia, TX, 22 miles east of Mart, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 13), a first frost 13 days later (November 22), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Mart, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Marlin, TX, 17.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76664
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 76664 is 17 miles from Marlin, TX, which stands at 407 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 76661 (Marlin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76664 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.