USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77488 — Wharton, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from El Campo, TX (110 ft), 13 miles southwest.
Updated
In Wharton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 23 in half of years and has passed by March 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 5, as early as November 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 287 days (NOAA, El Campo, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 23
- First fall frost
- December 5
- Growing season
- 287 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
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wharton
Half of springs at El Campo, TX see their last 32°F night by February 23; only one in ten is past it by January 22, and one in ten still has one after March 16. Planting tender crops after March 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 8 20%, and after March 16 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 5 in half of years, as early as November 15 one year in ten, and holds off past January 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around December 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 287 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 325 days one year in ten and falls short of 254 one year in ten. On average 11 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 7, and return around November 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 58% of winters and 16°F in 3%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 30 |
| 32°F | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 28°F91% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 24°F58% of yrs | Dec 19 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 32°F | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 4 |
| 28°F91% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 27 |
| 24°F58% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 30 | Feb 8 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at El Campo, 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 77488 →Compare Wharton with another place →
Weather by month in Wharton
August is the warmest month at El Campo, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 65°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 70% of years and March still brings one in 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,738 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 84% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (3,284) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,088. Precipitation totals 49.6 inches a year, most in September (5.7") and least in February (2.0"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65 | 42 | 3.1 | 89% | 4 | 181 |
| Feb | 68 | 46 | 2.0 | 70% | 2 | 237 |
| Mar | 76 | 53 | 2.8 | 38% | 1 | 444 |
| Apr | 82 | 59 | 3.1 | 1% | 0 | 608 |
| May | 88 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 842 |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Jul | 95 | 75 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 1082 |
| Aug | 96 | 74 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 1088 |
| Sep | 93 | 70 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Oct | 85 | 60 | 5.6 | 1% | 0 | 709 |
| Nov | 75 | 51 | 5.7 | 36% | 1 | 408 |
| Dec | 67 | 45 | 3.7 | 80% | 4 | 230 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at El Campo, TX (110 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, 19 miles southwest of Wharton, has a last frost 8 days earlier (February 15), a first frost 3 days later (December 8), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Wharton, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wharton, TX, 0.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77488
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 15 – December 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 29 – January 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 26 – February 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 5 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 77488 is 13 miles from El Campo, TX, which stands at 110 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 77437 (El Campo). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77488 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.