USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77562 — Highlands, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Baytown, TX (26 ft), 8 miles northeast.
Updated
In Highlands, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 20 in half of years and has passed by March 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 4, as early as November 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 292 days (NOAA, Baytown, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 20
- First fall frost
- December 4
- Growing season
- 292 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 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Highlands
Half of springs at Baytown, TX see their last 32°F night by February 20; only one in ten is past it by January 23, and one in ten still has one after March 14. Planting tender crops after March 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 6 20%, and after March 14 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 63% 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 4 in half of years, as early as November 12 one year in ten, and holds off past January 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 24 days later, around December 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 1, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 292 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 329 days one year in ten and falls short of 257 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 14 days longer, to about March 6, and return around November 20. A 24°F night is unusual: 44% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 28 |
| 32°F | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 28°F87% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| 24°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 32°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 |
| 28°F87% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 29 |
| 24°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Baytown, 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 77562 →Compare Highlands with another place →
Weather by month in Highlands
August is the warmest month at Baytown, TX, averaging 92°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°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 68% of years and March still brings one in 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,082 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,993) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,032. Precipitation totals 64.7 inches a year, most in June (7.1") and least in February (3.8"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 41 | 4.9 | 85% | 4 | 150 |
| Feb | 66 | 45 | 3.8 | 68% | 1 | 201 |
| Mar | 72 | 52 | 3.9 | 33% | 1 | 384 |
| Apr | 78 | 59 | 4.5 | 1% | <1 | 541 |
| May | 84 | 67 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Jun | 89 | 73 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 928 |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 1025 |
| Aug | 92 | 74 | 6.8 | 0% | 0 | 1032 |
| Sep | 89 | 69 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 6.1 | 1% | 0 | 640 |
| Nov | 71 | 50 | 4.9 | 39% | 1 | 343 |
| Dec | 65 | 44 | 4.8 | 72% | 2 | 188 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Baytown, TX (26 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-Port, TX, 15 miles west of Highlands, has a last frost 18 days earlier (February 2), a first frost 21 days later (December 25), a season 35 days longer.
When it snows in Highlands, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Baytown, TX, 7.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77562
| 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 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 4 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 77562 is 8 miles from Baytown, TX, which stands at 26 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77521 (Baytown). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77562 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.