USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 77446 — Prairie View, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bellville 6NNE, TX (280 ft), 14 miles west.
Updated
In Prairie View, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 2, as early as November 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 279 days (NOAA, Bellville 6NNE, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- December 2
- Growing season
- 279 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
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Prairie View
Half of springs at Bellville 6NNE, TX see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by January 31, and one in ten still has one after March 20. Planting tender crops after March 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 13 20%, and after March 20 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 51% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 2 in half of years, as early as November 12 one year in ten, and holds off past December 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 9, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 279 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 309 days one year in ten and falls short of 249 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 12 days longer, to about March 12, and return around November 19. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 74% of winters and 16°F in 7%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 32°F | Jan 31 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 24°F74% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 32°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
| 24°F74% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bellville 6NNE, 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 77446 →Compare Prairie View with another place →
Weather by month in Prairie View
August is the warmest month at Bellville 6NNE, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 41°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 81% of years and March still brings one in 47% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,160 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 72% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (3,007) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,055. Precipitation totals 44.1 inches a year, most in May (5.2") and least in July (2.4"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 41 | 3.4 | 95% | 5 | 139 |
| Feb | 65 | 45 | 2.7 | 81% | 3 | 197 |
| Mar | 72 | 52 | 3.4 | 47% | 1 | 389 |
| Apr | 78 | 58 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 548 |
| May | 85 | 66 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 790 |
| Jun | 91 | 72 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 943 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 1046 |
| Aug | 95 | 73 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 1055 |
| Sep | 90 | 69 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 4.3 | 1% | 0 | 644 |
| Nov | 72 | 51 | 3.9 | 45% | 1 | 361 |
| Dec | 63 | 43 | 3.5 | 89% | 5 | 171 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bellville 6NNE, TX (280 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, Washington Sp, TX, 19 miles northwest of Prairie View, has a last frost 7 days later (March 7), a first frost 13 days earlier (November 19), a season 20 days shorter.
When it snows in Prairie View, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cypress, TX, 17.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77446
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 20 – January 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 28 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 77446 is 14 miles from Bellville 6NNE, TX, which stands at 280 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77445 (Hempstead). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77446 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.