USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77064 — Houston, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Houston Hooks Mem Airport, TX (152 ft), 10 miles north.
Updated
In Houston, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 19 in half of years and has passed by March 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 3, as early as November 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 290 days (NOAA, Houston Hooks Mem Airport, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 19
- First fall frost
- December 3
- Growing season
- 290 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Houston
Half of springs at Houston Hooks Mem Airport, TX see their last 32°F night by February 19; only one in ten is past it by January 21, and one in ten still has one after March 15. Planting tender crops after March 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 8 20%, and after March 15 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% 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 December 3 in half of years, as early as November 13 one year in ten, and holds off past January 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 26 days later, around December 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 5, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 290 days in a typical year, longer than at 83% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 332 days one year in ten and falls short of 256 one year in ten. On average 14 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 March 7, and return around November 19. A 24°F night is unusual: 43% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 29 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 28°F85% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 5 |
| 24°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 5 |
| 28°F85% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Houston Hooks Mem Airport, 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 77064 →Compare Houston with another place →
Weather by month in Houston
August is the warmest month at Houston Hooks Mem Airport, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 43°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 64% of years and March still brings one in 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,443 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,212) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,069. Precipitation totals 50.8 inches a year, most in October (5.6") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 43 | 3.5 | 85% | 5 | 167 |
| Feb | 68 | 47 | 2.7 | 64% | 2 | 236 |
| Mar | 74 | 53 | 3.4 | 31% | 1 | 423 |
| Apr | 80 | 59 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 581 |
| May | 87 | 67 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 975 |
| Jul | 94 | 75 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 1068 |
| Aug | 95 | 74 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 1069 |
| Sep | 91 | 70 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 650 |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 4.0 | 40% | 1 | 345 |
| Dec | 65 | 44 | 3.7 | 73% | 5 | 199 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Houston Hooks Mem Airport, TX (152 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, Houston Intercont Airport, TX, 13 miles east of Houston, has a last frost 6 days earlier (February 13), a first frost 6 days later (December 9), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Houston, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Houston North Houston, TX, 4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77064
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 11 – December 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 25 – January 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 3 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 77064 is 10 miles from Houston Hooks Mem Airport, TX, which stands at 152 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 20 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77433 (Cypress). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77064 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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.