USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 77340 — Huntsville, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Huntsville, TX (494 ft), 3 miles northwest.
Updated
In Huntsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 28, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 272 days (NOAA, Huntsville, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- November 28
- Growing season
- 272 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Huntsville
Half of springs at Huntsville, TX see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by February 2, and one in ten still has one after March 22. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 22 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% 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 28 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 272 days in a typical year, longer than at 72% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 308 days one year in ten and falls short of 242 one year in ten. On average 17 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 March 14, and return around November 16. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 78% of winters and 16°F in 12%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 3 |
| 32°F | Feb 2 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Mar 2 |
| 20°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Feb 6 |
| 20°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Huntsville, 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 77340 →Compare Huntsville with another place →
Weather by month in Huntsville
August is the warmest month at Huntsville, TX, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 82% of years and March still brings one in 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,465 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,668) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,006. Precipitation totals 51.5 inches a year, most in June (5.5") and least in July (3.1"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 39 | 4.6 | 93% | 7 | 107 |
| Feb | 62 | 43 | 3.4 | 82% | 4 | 149 |
| Mar | 69 | 49 | 3.9 | 49% | 1 | 309 |
| Apr | 77 | 56 | 3.9 | 3% | 0 | 486 |
| May | 83 | 64 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 889 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 1003 |
| Aug | 93 | 72 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 816 |
| Oct | 79 | 58 | 4.6 | 4% | 0 | 568 |
| Nov | 68 | 48 | 4.7 | 55% | 1 | 272 |
| Dec | 60 | 41 | 4.7 | 92% | 5 | 132 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Huntsville, TX (494 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, Huntsville Municipal Airport, TX, 6 miles northwest of Huntsville, has a last frost 1 day later (March 2), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 26).
When it snows in Huntsville, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Huntsville, TX, 2.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77340
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 28 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 77340 is 3 miles from Huntsville, TX, which stands at 494 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77340 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.