USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 77962 — Ganado, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Danevang 1 W, TX (70 ft), 17 miles east.
Updated
In Ganado, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 15 in half of years and has passed by March 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 8, as early as November 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 301 days (NOAA, Danevang 1 W, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 15
- First fall frost
- December 8
- Growing season
- 301 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ganado
Half of springs at Danevang 1 W, TX see their last 32°F night by February 15; only one in ten is past it by January 9, and one in ten still has one after March 13. Planting tender crops after February 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 5 20%, and after March 13 10%. The 26 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 84% 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 8 in half of years, as early as November 13 one year in ten, and holds off past January 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around December 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 2, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 301 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 341 days one year in ten and falls short of 261 one year in ten. On average 13 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 16 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 5 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 27 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 28°F78% of yrs | Dec 21 | Jan 2 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Mar 2 |
| 24°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 21 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
| 28°F78% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Danevang 1 W, 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 77962 →Compare Ganado with another place →
Weather by month in Ganado
August is the warmest month at Danevang 1 W, TX, averaging 94°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 56% of years and March still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,442 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (3,152) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,057. Precipitation totals 46.6 inches a year, most in September (5.1") and least in February (2.7"); 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 | 43 | 3.5 | 76% | 5 | 167 |
| Feb | 67 | 47 | 2.7 | 56% | 3 | 227 |
| Mar | 73 | 53 | 3.2 | 27% | 1 | 424 |
| Apr | 80 | 59 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 583 |
| May | 85 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 809 |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Jul | 93 | 74 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 1029 |
| Aug | 94 | 74 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 1057 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Oct | 83 | 61 | 4.0 | 1% | 0 | 687 |
| Nov | 73 | 52 | 4.1 | 28% | 1 | 388 |
| Dec | 65 | 45 | 3.4 | 67% | 4 | 222 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Danevang 1 W, 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, El Campo, TX, 19 miles northeast of Ganado, has a last frost 8 days later (February 23), a first frost 3 days earlier (December 5), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Ganado, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Danevang 1 W, TX, 16.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77962
| 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 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 8 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 77962 is 17 miles from Danevang 1 W, TX, which stands at 70 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77962 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.