USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 78355 — Falfurrias, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Falfurrias, TX (139 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Falfurrias, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 25 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 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 285 days (NOAA, Falfurrias, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 25
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 285 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Falfurrias
Half of springs at Falfurrias, TX see their last 32°F night by February 25; only one in ten is past it by January 19, and one in ten still has one after March 18. Planting tender crops after March 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 11 20%, and after March 18 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 1 in half of years, as early as November 12 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 9, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 285 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 326 days one year in ten and falls short of 250 one year in ten. On average 10 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 53% of winters and 16°F in 3%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 9 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 27 | Apr 4 |
| 32°F | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Dec 21 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 |
| 24°F53% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 | Feb 20 | Mar 5 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 12 |
| 32°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F53% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 31 | Feb 20 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Falfurrias, 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 78355 →Compare Falfurrias with another place →
Weather by month in Falfurrias
July is the warmest month at Falfurrias, TX, averaging 98°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 69°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 61% of years and March still brings one in 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 8,244 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 351 Texas stations. 45% of them (3,680) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,097. Precipitation totals 27.3 inches a year, most in May (4.4") and least in February (0.9"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69 | 43 | 1.1 | 85% | 3 | 242 |
| Feb | 73 | 47 | 0.9 | 61% | 3 | 306 |
| Mar | 80 | 53 | 1.3 | 40% | 1 | 513 |
| Apr | 86 | 60 | 1.7 | 3% | 0 | 686 |
| May | 91 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 908 |
| Jun | 96 | 72 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 1024 |
| Jul | 98 | 73 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 1097 |
| Aug | 98 | 73 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 1093 |
| Sep | 92 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Oct | 87 | 60 | 3.0 | 3% | 0 | 718 |
| Nov | 78 | 51 | 1.4 | 44% | 1 | 442 |
| Dec | 71 | 45 | 1.3 | 79% | 2 | 288 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Falfurrias, TX (139 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, 29 miles northeast of Falfurrias, has a last frost 31 days earlier (January 25), a first frost 19 days later (December 20), a season 44 days longer.
When it snows in Falfurrias, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Falfurrias, TX, 6.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78355
| 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 78355 is 6 miles from Falfurrias, TX, which stands at 139 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78355 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.