USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 76856 — Mason, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mason, TX (1,531 ft), under a mile south.
Updated
In Mason, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 18 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 241 days (NOAA, Mason, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 18
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 241 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
3 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mason
Half of springs at Mason, TX see their last 32°F night by March 18; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 7 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 13 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 22, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 241 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 268 days one year in ten and falls short of 216 one year in ten. On average 51 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 April 3, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 35%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Dec 20 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 20 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 8 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mason, 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 76856 →Compare Mason with another place →
Weather by month in Mason
July is the warmest month at Mason, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°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 84% of years and April still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,330 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,600) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,028. Precipitation totals 28.9 inches a year, most in May (4.2") and least in January (1.3"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 34 | 1.3 | 100% | 17 | 77 |
| Feb | 65 | 38 | 1.9 | 98% | 10 | 128 |
| Mar | 72 | 45 | 2.2 | 84% | 4 | 285 |
| Apr | 80 | 52 | 2.3 | 20% | 1 | 472 |
| May | 86 | 62 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Jun | 93 | 68 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Jul | 96 | 71 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 1028 |
| Aug | 96 | 70 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1026 |
| Sep | 90 | 64 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 802 |
| Oct | 81 | 53 | 2.6 | 13% | <1 | 529 |
| Nov | 70 | 44 | 1.9 | 86% | 5 | 244 |
| Dec | 63 | 36 | 1.4 | 100% | 14 | 102 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mason, TX (1,531 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, Brady, TX, 28 miles north of Mason and 180 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 14), a first frost 2 days later (November 15), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Mason, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 28 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Mason, TX, 0.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76856
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 7 – January 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 21 – February 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 76856 is under a mile from Mason, TX, which stands at 1,531 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76856 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.