USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78130 — New Braunfels, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from New Braunfels, TX (720 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In New Braunfels, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 8 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 253 days (NOAA, New Braunfels, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 8
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 253 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 New Braunfels
Half of springs at New Braunfels, TX see their last 32°F night by March 8; only one in ten is past it by February 17, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 24 20%, and after April 1 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 November 18 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 17, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 253 days in a typical year, longer than at 56% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 287 days one year in ten and falls short of 223 one year in ten. On average 32 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 25, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 91% of winters and 16°F in 21%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Jan 29 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 24°F91% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 16 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 20°F60% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 10 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 28 | Jan 8 |
| 24°F91% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 17 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F60% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 10 |
| 16°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at New Braunfels, 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 78130 →Compare New Braunfels with another place →
Weather by month in New Braunfels
August is the warmest month at New Braunfels, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from January to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 64% of years and April still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,606 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 59% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,747) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,021. Precipitation totals 33.7 inches a year, most in May (3.6") and least in February (1.9"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 37 | 2.3 | 96% | 11 | 102 |
| Feb | 66 | 40 | 1.9 | 94% | 6 | 153 |
| Mar | 73 | 48 | 2.7 | 64% | 3 | 336 |
| Apr | 79 | 54 | 2.5 | 11% | <1 | 499 |
| May | 85 | 64 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 755 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 903 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 1015 |
| Aug | 95 | 71 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 1021 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Oct | 81 | 56 | 3.2 | 6% | <1 | 575 |
| Nov | 71 | 46 | 2.4 | 76% | 3 | 280 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 2.6 | 88% | 9 | 139 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at New Braunfels, TX (720 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, Austin San Antonio, TX, 5 miles east of New Braunfels, has a last frost 7 days earlier (March 1), a first frost 8 days later (November 26), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in New Braunfels, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at New Braunfels, TX, 4.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78130
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 28 – January 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 11 – January 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 78130 is 4 miles from New Braunfels, TX, which stands at 720 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 78130 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.