USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 77371 — Shepherd, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cleveland, TX (196 ft), 10 miles southwest.
Updated
In Shepherd, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 7 in half of years and has passed by March 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 259 days (NOAA, Cleveland, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 7
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 259 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Shepherd
Half of springs at Cleveland, TX see their last 32°F night by March 7; only one in ten is past it by February 8, and one in ten still has one after March 29. Planting tender crops after March 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 23 20%, and after March 29 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 63% 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 20 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 15, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 259 days in a typical year, longer than at 62% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 296 days one year in ten and falls short of 228 one year in ten. On average 30 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 15 days longer, to about March 22, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 80% of winters and 16°F in 9%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 32°F | Feb 8 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 20 | Mar 4 |
| 20°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 11 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 29 | Jan 8 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cleveland, 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 77371 →Compare Shepherd with another place →
Weather by month in Shepherd
August is the warmest month at Cleveland, TX, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°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 85% of years and March still brings one in 61% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,435 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 52% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,707) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 987. Precipitation totals 55.8 inches a year, most in October (5.8") and least in July (3.5"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 4.5 | 95% | 10 | 119 |
| Feb | 65 | 43 | 4.3 | 85% | 5 | 164 |
| Mar | 72 | 49 | 3.8 | 61% | 2 | 337 |
| Apr | 77 | 55 | 3.7 | 7% | <1 | 482 |
| May | 83 | 63 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 725 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 978 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 987 |
| Sep | 88 | 66 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 808 |
| Oct | 79 | 56 | 5.8 | 6% | <1 | 552 |
| Nov | 69 | 47 | 5.4 | 69% | 3 | 264 |
| Dec | 62 | 40 | 4.6 | 92% | 9 | 139 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cleveland, TX (196 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, Livingston 2 NNE, TX, 18 miles north of Shepherd, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 1), a first frost 4 days later (November 24), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Shepherd, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cleveland, TX, 10 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77371
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 27 – January 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 10 – January 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 77371 is 10 miles from Cleveland, TX, which stands at 196 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77327 (Cleveland). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77371 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.