USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78233 — Live Oak, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Randolph AFB, TX (760 ft), 6 miles east.
Updated
In Live Oak, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 21 in half of years and has passed by March 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 5, as early as November 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 289 days (NOAA, Randolph AFB, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 21
- First fall frost
- December 5
- Growing season
- 289 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
- 24%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Live Oak
Half of springs at Randolph AFB, TX see their last 32°F night by February 21; only one in ten is past it by January 10, and one in ten still has one after March 14. Planting tender crops after March 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 6 20%, and after March 14 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% 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 5 in half of years, as early as November 16 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 5, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 289 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 331 days one year in ten and falls short of 259 one year in ten. On average 12 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 13 days longer, to about March 6, and return around November 24. A 24°F night is unusual: 41% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 29 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 28°F83% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| 24°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F83% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Randolph AFB, 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 78233 →Compare Live Oak with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, San Antonio International Airport, TX, 7 miles west of Live Oak, has a last frost 5 days later (February 26), a first frost 7 days earlier (November 28), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Live Oak, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at San Antonio International Airport, TX, 7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78233
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 13 – December 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 27 – January 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 5 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 78233 is 6 miles from Randolph AFB, TX, which stands at 760 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 78109 (Converse). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78233 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.