USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77535 — Dayton, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Liberty, TX (35 ft), 6 miles east.
Updated
In Dayton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 21 in half of years and has passed by March 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 286 days (NOAA, Liberty, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 21
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 286 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Dayton
Half of springs at Liberty, TX see their last 32°F night by February 21; only one in ten is past it by January 22, and one in ten still has one after March 17. Planting tender crops after March 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 8 20%, and after March 17 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% 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 1 in half of years, as early as November 9 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 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 1, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 286 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 324 days one year in ten and falls short of 254 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 15 days longer, to about March 8, and return around November 18. A 24°F night is unusual: 50% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 17 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 19 | Mar 1 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F15% 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 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 32°F | Nov 9 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Jan 2 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 23 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F15% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Liberty, 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 77535 →Compare Dayton with another place →
Weather by month in Dayton
August is the warmest month at Liberty, TX, averaging 94°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 41°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 66% of years and March still brings one in 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,200 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 74% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (3,056) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,049. Precipitation totals 62.8 inches a year, most in September (6.9") and least in February (3.9"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 41 | 5.1 | 86% | 5 | 157 |
| Feb | 67 | 45 | 3.9 | 66% | 2 | 209 |
| Mar | 74 | 52 | 4.0 | 35% | 1 | 399 |
| Apr | 79 | 58 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 554 |
| May | 86 | 66 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Jun | 91 | 72 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Jul | 93 | 74 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 1039 |
| Aug | 94 | 74 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 1049 |
| Sep | 90 | 69 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 883 |
| Oct | 83 | 59 | 6.3 | 1% | <1 | 645 |
| Nov | 72 | 49 | 4.7 | 48% | 1 | 343 |
| Dec | 65 | 43 | 5.2 | 79% | 4 | 184 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Liberty, TX (35 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, Baytown, TX, 11 miles southwest of Dayton, has a last frost 1 day earlier (February 20), a first frost 3 days later (December 4), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Dayton, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Liberty, TX, 5.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77535
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 13 – December 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 27 – January 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 1 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 77535 is 6 miles from Liberty, TX, which stands at 35 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77535 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.