USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77539 — Dickinson, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Houston NWSO, TX (19 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Dickinson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around January 31 in half of years and has passed by March 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 14, as early as November 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 317 days (NOAA, Houston NWSO, TX).
- Last spring frost
- January 31
- First fall frost
- December 14
- Growing season
- 317 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
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Dickinson
Half of springs at Houston NWSO, TX see their last 32°F night by January 31; only one in ten is past it by December 25, and one in ten still has one after March 5. Planting tender crops after February 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 24 20%, and after March 5 10%. The 33 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 95% 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 14 in half of years, as early as November 19 one year in ten, and holds off past January 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around January 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 24, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 317 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 357 days one year in ten and falls short of 279 one year in ten. On average 9 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 22 days longer, to about February 22, and return around November 29. A 24°F night is unusual: 21% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| 32°F94% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 7 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 5 |
| 28°F60% of yrs | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 24 |
| 24°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 |
| 32°F94% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 19 |
| 28°F60% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Feb 5 |
| 24°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Houston NWSO, 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 77539 →Compare Dickinson with another place →
Weather by month in Dickinson
August is the warmest month at Houston NWSO, TX, averaging 92°F by day and 76°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 46°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 38% of years and March still brings one in 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,660 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 81% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,318) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,057. Precipitation totals 60.0 inches a year, most in September (7.3") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 46 | 4.8 | 66% | 4 | 202 |
| Feb | 67 | 50 | 3.0 | 38% | 1 | 263 |
| Mar | 73 | 56 | 3.3 | 13% | 1 | 449 |
| Apr | 78 | 61 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 596 |
| May | 85 | 69 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 839 |
| Jun | 90 | 75 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 970 |
| Jul | 92 | 76 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 1051 |
| Aug | 92 | 76 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 1057 |
| Sep | 88 | 72 | 7.3 | 0% | 0 | 903 |
| Oct | 82 | 63 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Nov | 73 | 53 | 4.5 | 21% | 1 | 399 |
| Dec | 66 | 47 | 4.5 | 55% | 3 | 244 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Houston NWSO, TX (19 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, Houston Clover Field, TX, 13 miles west of Dickinson, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 13 days later (December 27), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Dickinson, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Houston NWSO, TX, 3.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77539
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 22 – December 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 6 – December 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| January 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 14 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 77539 is 3 miles from Houston NWSO, TX, which stands at 19 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77573 (League City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77539 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.