USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77482 — Van Vleck, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bay City Wtr Wks, TX (52 ft), 6 miles southwest.
Updated
In Van Vleck, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 20 in half of years and has passed by March 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 3, as early as November 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 290 days (NOAA, Bay City Wtr Wks, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 20
- First fall frost
- December 3
- Growing season
- 290 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Van Vleck
Half of springs at Bay City Wtr Wks, TX see their last 32°F night by February 20; only one in ten is past it by January 19, and one in ten still has one after March 15. Planting tender crops after March 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 8 20%, and after March 15 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 72% 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 3 in half of years, as early as November 10 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 5, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 290 days in a typical year, longer than at 83% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 327 days one year in ten and falls short of 255 one year in ten. On average 7 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 7, and return around November 20. A 24°F night is unusual: 50% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 11 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Apr 1 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 5 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 23 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bay City Wtr Wks, 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 77482 →Compare Van Vleck with another place →
Weather by month in Van Vleck
August is the warmest month at Bay City Wtr Wks, TX, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 43°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 62% of years and March still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,078 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,013) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 995. Precipitation totals 49.0 inches a year, most in September (5.8") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 43 | 3.8 | 85% | 3 | 166 |
| Feb | 67 | 47 | 2.5 | 62% | 1 | 226 |
| Mar | 72 | 53 | 3.0 | 32% | 1 | 399 |
| Apr | 78 | 59 | 3.2 | 1% | 0 | 548 |
| May | 84 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Jun | 89 | 72 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 983 |
| Aug | 91 | 73 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Sep | 88 | 69 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 850 |
| Oct | 81 | 60 | 4.2 | 1% | 0 | 647 |
| Nov | 72 | 51 | 4.0 | 43% | 1 | 372 |
| Dec | 65 | 45 | 3.6 | 79% | 2 | 218 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bay City Wtr Wks, TX (52 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, Danevang 1 W, TX, 21 miles west of Van Vleck, has a last frost 5 days earlier (February 15), a first frost 5 days later (December 8), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Van Vleck, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bay City Wtr Wks, TX, 6.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77482
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 12 – December 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 26 – January 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 3 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 77482 is 6 miles from Bay City Wtr Wks, TX, which stands at 52 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77414 (Bay City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77482 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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.