USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77545 — Fresno, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Thompsons 3 WSW, TX (70 ft), 11 miles west.
Updated
In Fresno, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 15 in half of years and has passed by March 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 6, as early as November 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 297 days (NOAA, Thompsons 3 WSW, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 15
- First fall frost
- December 6
- Growing season
- 297 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
- 6%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fresno
Half of springs at Thompsons 3 WSW, TX see their last 32°F night by February 15; only one in ten is past it by January 13, and one in ten still has one after March 15. Planting tender crops after March 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 6 20%, and after March 15 10%. The 28 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 89% 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 6 in half of years, as early as November 13 one year in ten, and holds off past January 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 23 days later, around December 29; 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 297 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 335 days one year in ten and falls short of 261 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 19 days longer, to about March 6, and return around November 22. A 24°F night is unusual: 44% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 4 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Apr 1 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 15 |
| 28°F83% of yrs | Dec 21 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 | Mar 5 |
| 24°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 28°F83% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 29 |
| 24°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Thompsons 3 WSW, 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 77545 →Compare Fresno with another place →
Weather by month in Fresno
August is the warmest month at Thompsons 3 WSW, TX, averaging 93°F by day and 74°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 55% of years and March still brings one in 30% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,313 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (3,091) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,045. Precipitation totals 50.0 inches a year, most in October (5.2") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 43 | 4.1 | 82% | 3 | 163 |
| Feb | 67 | 47 | 3.0 | 55% | 1 | 228 |
| Mar | 72 | 53 | 3.4 | 30% | 1 | 403 |
| Apr | 79 | 58 | 3.6 | 1% | 0 | 559 |
| May | 85 | 66 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Jun | 90 | 72 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 937 |
| Jul | 92 | 74 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 1028 |
| Aug | 93 | 74 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 1045 |
| Sep | 89 | 70 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 888 |
| Oct | 82 | 61 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 664 |
| Nov | 72 | 52 | 4.1 | 36% | 1 | 379 |
| Dec | 65 | 46 | 3.9 | 74% | 2 | 219 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Thompsons 3 WSW, TX (70 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 east of Fresno, has a last frost 15 days earlier (January 31), a first frost 21 days later (December 27), a season 31 days longer.
When it snows in Fresno, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Thompsons 3 WSW, TX, 10.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77545
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 7 – December 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 21 – January 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 6 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 77545 is 11 miles from Thompsons 3 WSW, TX, which stands at 70 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77459 (Missouri City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77545 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.