USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 77351 — Livingston, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Livingston 2 NNE, TX (178 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Livingston, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 24, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 269 days (NOAA, Livingston 2 NNE, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- November 24
- Growing season
- 269 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Livingston
Half of springs at Livingston 2 NNE, TX see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by February 4, and one in ten still has one after March 27. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 27 10%. The 26 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 84% 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 24 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 18 days later, around December 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 12, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 269 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 306 days one year in ten and falls short of 235 one year in ten. On average 36 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 17, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 71% of winters and 16°F in 5%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 32°F | Feb 4 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| 24°F71% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 8 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 23 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 23 |
| 24°F71% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 7 | Dec 19 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Feb 7 |
| 20°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Livingston 2 NNE, 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 77351 →Compare Livingston with another place →
Weather by month in Livingston
July is the warmest month at Livingston 2 NNE, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in 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 86% of years and March still brings one in 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,096 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 71% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,979) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,083. Precipitation totals 51.0 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in July (3.2"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 40 | 4.5 | 91% | 12 | 130 |
| Feb | 66 | 43 | 3.8 | 86% | 7 | 179 |
| Mar | 73 | 51 | 3.7 | 49% | 3 | 376 |
| Apr | 79 | 57 | 4.3 | 6% | <1 | 538 |
| May | 85 | 66 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 797 |
| Jun | 92 | 72 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 960 |
| Jul | 95 | 75 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 1083 |
| Aug | 96 | 74 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 1080 |
| Sep | 90 | 68 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 867 |
| Oct | 81 | 58 | 4.6 | 4% | <1 | 607 |
| Nov | 71 | 49 | 4.5 | 60% | 4 | 317 |
| Dec | 63 | 42 | 5.0 | 82% | 11 | 162 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Livingston 2 NNE, TX (178 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, Cleveland, TX, 26 miles southwest of Livingston, has a last frost 6 days later (March 7), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 20), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Livingston, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Livingston 2 NNE, TX, 2.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77351
| 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 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 24 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 77351 is 2 miles from Livingston 2 NNE, TX, which stands at 178 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77351 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.