USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 77859 — Hearne, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Franklin, TX (467 ft), 13 miles northeast.
Updated
In Hearne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 28, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 277 days (NOAA, Franklin, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- November 28
- Growing season
- 277 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 20%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hearne
Half of springs at Franklin, TX see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by January 26, and one in ten still has one after March 21. Planting tender crops after March 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 14 20%, and after March 21 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 November 28 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 277 days in a typical year, longer than at 76% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 312 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 one year in ten. On average 24 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 13 days longer, to about March 13, and return around November 17. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 74% of winters and 16°F in 12%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 32°F | Jan 26 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 28°F97% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 24°F74% of yrs | Dec 21 | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| 20°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 |
| 28°F97% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 |
| 24°F74% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 6 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 29 |
| 20°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Franklin, 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 77859 →Compare Hearne with another place →
Weather by month in Hearne
August is the warmest month at Franklin, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 71% of years and March still brings one in 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,897 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 66% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,872) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,067. Precipitation totals 40.6 inches a year, most in May (4.7") and least in July (1.6"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 39 | 3.5 | 94% | 9 | 115 |
| Feb | 65 | 44 | 2.8 | 71% | 4 | 169 |
| Mar | 71 | 50 | 3.8 | 46% | 2 | 341 |
| Apr | 79 | 57 | 2.7 | 3% | <1 | 531 |
| May | 85 | 65 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 770 |
| Jun | 92 | 71 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 946 |
| Jul | 95 | 73 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 1054 |
| Aug | 96 | 73 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 1067 |
| Sep | 91 | 68 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Oct | 81 | 58 | 4.7 | 3% | <1 | 606 |
| Nov | 69 | 48 | 3.3 | 53% | 3 | 292 |
| Dec | 62 | 41 | 3.8 | 88% | 7 | 136 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Franklin, TX (467 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, Cameron, TX, 22 miles west of Hearne, has a last frost 6 days later (March 6), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 23), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in Hearne, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Franklin, TX, 12.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77859
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 20 – January 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 28 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 77859 is 13 miles from Franklin, TX, which stands at 467 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77859 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.