USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 77384 — The Woodlands, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Conroe, TX (245 ft), 7 miles north.
Updated
In The Woodlands, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 24 in half of years and has passed by March 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 2, as early as November 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 285 days (NOAA, Conroe, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 24
- First fall frost
- December 2
- Growing season
- 285 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in The Woodlands
Half of springs at Conroe, TX see their last 32°F night by February 24; only one in ten is past it by January 26, and one in ten still has one after March 17. Planting tender crops after March 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 9 20%, and after March 17 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 December 2 in half of years, as early as November 11 one year in ten, and holds off past January 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 21 days later, around December 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 6, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 285 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 324 days one year in ten and falls short of 253 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 9, and return around November 20. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 58% of winters and 16°F in 4%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 24°F58% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 32°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Jan 2 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 28 |
| 24°F58% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 | Feb 13 |
| 20°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Conroe, 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 77384 →Compare The Woodlands with another place →
Weather by month in The Woodlands
August is the warmest month at Conroe, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 42°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 71% of years and March still brings one in 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,434 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,162) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,088. Precipitation totals 51.1 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in February (3.3"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 42 | 4.4 | 88% | 6 | 156 |
| Feb | 67 | 46 | 3.3 | 71% | 3 | 218 |
| Mar | 74 | 52 | 3.5 | 39% | 1 | 409 |
| Apr | 80 | 59 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| May | 87 | 67 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 973 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 1074 |
| Aug | 96 | 74 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 1088 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 906 |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 5.4 | 1% | <1 | 660 |
| Nov | 72 | 51 | 4.8 | 43% | 2 | 355 |
| Dec | 64 | 44 | 4.1 | 80% | 5 | 190 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Conroe, TX (245 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, Conroe Montgomery Co Airport, TX, 10 miles northeast of The Woodlands, has a last frost 15 days later (March 11), a first frost 13 days earlier (November 19), a season 32 days shorter.
When it snows in The Woodlands, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Conroe, TX, 6.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77384
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 16 – December 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 30 – January 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 2 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 77384 is 7 miles from Conroe, TX, which stands at 245 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77304 (Conroe). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77384 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.