USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 77963 — Goliad, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Goliad, TX (142 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Goliad, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 25 in half of years and has passed by March 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 280 days (NOAA, Goliad, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 25
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 280 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Goliad
Half of springs at Goliad, TX see their last 32°F night by February 25; only one in ten is past it by January 23, and one in ten still has one after March 17. Planting tender crops after March 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 10 20%, and after March 17 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 51% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 1 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 8, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 280 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 317 days one year in ten and falls short of 246 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 12 days longer, to about March 9, and return around November 18. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 67% of winters and 16°F in 9%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 9 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 24°F67% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 15 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 31 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 19 |
| 24°F67% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Feb 5 |
| 20°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Goliad, 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 77963 →Compare Goliad with another place →
Weather by month in Goliad
August is the warmest month at Goliad, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 66°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 68% of years and March still brings one in 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,732 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 83% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,326) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,083. Precipitation totals 37.1 inches a year, most in September (4.7") and least in February (1.7"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 43 | 2.7 | 85% | 5 | 196 |
| Feb | 70 | 47 | 1.7 | 68% | 2 | 257 |
| Mar | 75 | 53 | 2.7 | 43% | 1 | 449 |
| Apr | 81 | 60 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| May | 87 | 67 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 840 |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 1062 |
| Aug | 96 | 74 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 1083 |
| Sep | 91 | 70 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 915 |
| Oct | 84 | 61 | 3.4 | 5% | 0 | 701 |
| Nov | 75 | 52 | 2.3 | 45% | 1 | 407 |
| Dec | 68 | 45 | 2.1 | 82% | 4 | 238 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Goliad, TX (142 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, Beeville 5 NE, TX, 24 miles southwest of Goliad, has a last frost 8 days earlier (February 17), a first frost 7 days later (December 8), a season 19 days longer.
When it snows in Goliad, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Goliad, TX, 1.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77963
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 17 – December 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 31 – January 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 1 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 77963 is 2 miles from Goliad, TX, which stands at 142 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77963 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.