USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 78343 — Bishop, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bishop, TX (67 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Bishop, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 13 in half of years and has passed by March 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 7, as early as November 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 305 days (NOAA, Bishop, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 13
- First fall frost
- December 7
- Growing season
- 305 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 4%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bishop
Half of springs at Bishop, TX see their last 32°F night by February 13; only one in ten is past it by January 4, and one in ten still has one after March 12. Planting tender crops after February 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 3 20%, and after March 12 10%. The 27 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 86% 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 7 in half of years, as early as November 17 one year in ten, and holds off past January 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around December 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 3, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 305 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 342 days one year in ten and falls short of 265 one year in ten. On average 9 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 15 days longer, to about February 28, and return around November 25. A 24°F night is unusual: 31% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 31 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 12 |
| 28°F75% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| 24°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 8 |
| 28°F75% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 19 | Feb 7 |
| 24°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bishop, 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 78343 →Compare Bishop with another place →
Weather by month in Bishop
August is the warmest month at Bishop, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 68°F and 45°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 49% of years and March still brings one in 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 8,299 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 351 Texas stations. 44% of them (3,644) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,122. Precipitation totals 28.9 inches a year, most in September (5.2") and least in January (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 | 68 | 45 | 1.5 | 73% | 3 | 243 |
| Feb | 71 | 49 | 1.6 | 49% | 2 | 311 |
| Mar | 77 | 56 | 1.7 | 26% | <1 | 513 |
| Apr | 83 | 63 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| May | 88 | 69 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Jun | 93 | 74 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 1002 |
| Jul | 95 | 75 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 1090 |
| Aug | 97 | 75 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 1122 |
| Sep | 91 | 72 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 938 |
| Oct | 86 | 64 | 3.1 | 1% | 0 | 766 |
| Nov | 77 | 53 | 1.7 | 32% | <1 | 457 |
| Dec | 70 | 47 | 2.2 | 71% | 3 | 284 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bishop, TX (67 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, Kingsville, TX, 6 miles southwest of Bishop, has a last frost 19 days earlier (January 25), a first frost 13 days later (December 20), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Bishop, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Kingsville, TX, 6.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78343
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 5 – December 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 19 – January 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 7 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 78343 is 2 miles from Bishop, TX, which stands at 67 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78343 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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.