USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 76861 — Miles, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Paint Rock, TX (1,654 ft), 16 miles east.
Updated
In Miles, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Paint Rock, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 222 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Miles
Half of springs at Paint Rock, TX see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 7, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 17 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 75% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, shorter than at 84% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 246 days one year in ten and falls short of 200 one year in ten. On average 61 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 10 days longer, to about April 9, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 84%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 8 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 23 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 6 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Paint Rock, 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 76861 →Compare Miles with another place →
Weather by month in Miles
July is the warmest month at Paint Rock, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 30°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,160 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 62% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,535) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,046. Precipitation totals 24.7 inches a year, most in June (3.5") and least in January (1.1"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 30 | 1.1 | 100% | 18 | 54 |
| Feb | 64 | 34 | 1.6 | 99% | 11 | 94 |
| Mar | 71 | 42 | 1.8 | 93% | 5 | 256 |
| Apr | 80 | 50 | 1.5 | 45% | 1 | 465 |
| May | 87 | 61 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Jun | 93 | 69 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Jul | 96 | 71 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 1046 |
| Aug | 96 | 71 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 1031 |
| Sep | 89 | 63 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Oct | 80 | 52 | 2.4 | 27% | 1 | 505 |
| Nov | 69 | 40 | 1.8 | 97% | 8 | 196 |
| Dec | 60 | 32 | 1.2 | 100% | 17 | 62 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Paint Rock, TX (1,654 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, Ballinger 2 NW, TX, 16 miles northeast of Miles, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 22), a first frost 5 days later (November 10), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Miles, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Ballinger 2 NW, TX, 16.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 76861
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 76861 is 16 miles from Paint Rock, TX, which stands at 1,654 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 76861 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.