USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77901 — Victoria, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Victoria Fire Dept #5, TX (101 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Victoria, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 14 in half of years and has passed by March 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 9, as early as November 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 299 days (NOAA, Victoria Fire Dept #5, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 14
- First fall frost
- December 9
- Growing season
- 299 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 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Victoria
Half of springs at Victoria Fire Dept #5, TX see their last 32°F night by February 14; only one in ten is past it by January 17, and one in ten still has one after March 13. Planting tender crops after February 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 5 20%, and after March 13 10%. The 27 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 86% 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 9 in half of years, as early as November 17 one year in ten, and holds off past January 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around December 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 1, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 299 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 334 days one year in ten and falls short of 264 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 17 days longer, to about March 3, and return around November 27. A 24°F night is unusual: 44% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 3 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 28°F84% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Mar 1 |
| 24°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F13% 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 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 |
| 28°F84% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Feb 2 |
| 24°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Victoria Fire Dept #5, 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 77901 →Compare Victoria with another place →
Weather by month in Victoria
August is the warmest month at Victoria Fire Dept #5, TX, averaging 94°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 65°F and 42°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 56% of years and March still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,504 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (3,179) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,072. Precipitation totals 39.4 inches a year, most in May (5.1") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65 | 42 | 3.0 | 88% | 6 | 165 |
| Feb | 68 | 47 | 2.2 | 56% | 3 | 243 |
| Mar | 74 | 54 | 2.3 | 27% | 1 | 426 |
| Apr | 79 | 59 | 3.4 | 1% | 0 | 571 |
| May | 85 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 818 |
| Jun | 91 | 73 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 955 |
| Jul | 93 | 75 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 1062 |
| Aug | 94 | 75 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 1072 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Oct | 84 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Nov | 73 | 52 | 2.8 | 28% | 1 | 392 |
| Dec | 67 | 45 | 2.6 | 69% | 4 | 219 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Victoria Fire Dept #5, TX (101 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, Victoria Regional Airport, TX, 5 miles northeast of Victoria, has a last frost 10 days earlier (February 4), the same first-frost date, a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Victoria, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Victoria Fire Dept #5, TX, 4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77901
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 6 – December 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 20 – January 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 9 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 77901 is 4 miles from Victoria Fire Dept #5, TX, which stands at 101 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 77901 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.