USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76689 — Valley Mills, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Whitney Dam, TX (574 ft), 16 miles northeast.
Updated
In Valley Mills, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 14, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 243 days (NOAA, Whitney Dam, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 243 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"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Valley Mills
Half of springs at Whitney Dam, TX see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 25, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 7 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 72% 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 14 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 243 days in a typical year, shorter than at 56% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 271 days one year in ten and falls short of 215 one year in ten. On average 43 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 17 days longer, to about April 1, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 38%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 8 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F78% of yrs | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 |
| 20°F78% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Whitney Dam, 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 76689 →Compare Valley Mills with another place →
Weather by month in Valley Mills
August is the warmest month at Whitney Dam, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 80% of years and April still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,231 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,484) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,044. Precipitation totals 37.7 inches a year, most in May (4.6") and least in July (1.7"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 34 | 2.5 | 100% | 14 | 63 |
| Feb | 61 | 38 | 2.4 | 98% | 9 | 99 |
| Mar | 68 | 46 | 3.5 | 80% | 3 | 257 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 3.6 | 20% | <1 | 439 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Jul | 95 | 72 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 1040 |
| Aug | 96 | 72 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1044 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 826 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 4.4 | 11% | <1 | 529 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 2.6 | 82% | 5 | 227 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 2.7 | 100% | 13 | 81 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Whitney Dam, TX (574 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 Regional Airport, TX, 16 miles east of Valley Mills, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day later (November 15), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Valley Mills, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hurst Springs, TX, 12.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76689
| 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 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 14 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 76689 is 16 miles from Whitney Dam, TX, which stands at 574 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 76692 (Whitney). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76689 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.