USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78065 — Poteet, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Poteet, TX (425 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Poteet, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 22 in half of years and has passed by March 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 281 days (NOAA, Poteet, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 22
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 281 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
- 8%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Poteet
Half of springs at Poteet, TX see their last 32°F night by February 22; only one in ten is past it by January 25, and one in ten still has one after March 18. Planting tender crops after March 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 9 20%, and after March 18 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% 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 1 in half of years, as early as November 8 one year in ten, and holds off past December 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 6, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 281 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 319 days one year in ten and falls short of 248 one year in ten. On average 20 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 6, and return around November 17. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 65% of winters and 16°F in 4%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Apr 5 |
| 32°F | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 18 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 6 |
| 24°F65% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 32°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 28 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 24 |
| 24°F65% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 30 | Feb 11 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Poteet, 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 78065 →Compare Poteet with another place →
Weather by month in Poteet
August is the warmest month at Poteet, TX, averaging 98°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 66°F and 41°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 73% of years and March still brings one in 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,655 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 81% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,288) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,105. Precipitation totals 28.4 inches a year, most in September (4.0") and least in November (1.5"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 41 | 1.6 | 90% | 6 | 168 |
| Feb | 70 | 45 | 1.8 | 73% | 3 | 235 |
| Mar | 76 | 52 | 2.0 | 34% | 2 | 439 |
| Apr | 82 | 58 | 2.1 | 2% | <1 | 610 |
| May | 88 | 67 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 849 |
| Jun | 94 | 72 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 987 |
| Jul | 96 | 74 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 1087 |
| Aug | 98 | 74 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1105 |
| Sep | 92 | 69 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 921 |
| Oct | 85 | 60 | 2.3 | 3% | 0 | 688 |
| Nov | 75 | 49 | 1.5 | 48% | 2 | 376 |
| Dec | 67 | 42 | 1.7 | 84% | 6 | 190 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Poteet, TX (425 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, Pleasanton, TX, 9 miles southeast of Poteet, has a last frost 5 days later (February 27), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 28), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Poteet, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Poteet, TX, 2.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78065
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 14 – December 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 28 – January 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 22 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 78065 is 2 miles from Poteet, TX, which stands at 425 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78065 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.