USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 78357 — Freer, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Freer, TX (562 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Freer, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 10 in half of years and has passed by March 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 7, as early as November 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 304 days (NOAA, Freer, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 10
- First fall frost
- December 7
- Growing season
- 304 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 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Freer
Half of springs at Freer, TX see their last 32°F night by February 10; only one in ten is past it by January 9, and one in ten still has one after March 8. Planting tender crops after February 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 1 20%, and after March 8 10%. The 26 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 84% 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 18 one year in ten, and holds off past January 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 23, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 304 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 340 days one year in ten and falls short of 271 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 19 days longer, to about March 1, and return around November 26. A 24°F night is unusual: 46% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 1 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 25 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 28°F83% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 23 |
| 24°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 |
| 28°F83% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 28 |
| 24°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Freer, 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 78357 →Compare Freer with another place →
Weather by month in Freer
August is the warmest month at Freer, TX, averaging 98°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 66°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 53% of years and March still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 8,122 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 91% of the 351 Texas stations. 44% of them (3,588) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,111. Precipitation totals 25.2 inches a year, most in September (3.4") and least in December (1.2"); May to September bring 56% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 43 | 1.3 | 79% | 4 | 209 |
| Feb | 71 | 48 | 1.3 | 53% | 1 | 296 |
| Mar | 78 | 55 | 1.9 | 21% | 1 | 509 |
| Apr | 84 | 60 | 2.1 | 1% | 0 | 667 |
| May | 91 | 67 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 901 |
| Jun | 95 | 72 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Jul | 97 | 74 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 1101 |
| Aug | 98 | 73 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 1111 |
| Sep | 92 | 69 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 914 |
| Oct | 85 | 62 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Nov | 75 | 53 | 1.4 | 32% | 1 | 428 |
| Dec | 68 | 45 | 1.2 | 77% | 3 | 249 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Freer, TX (562 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, Benavides 2, TX, 26 miles south of Freer and 182 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days later (February 20), a first frost 6 days earlier (December 1), a season 18 days shorter.
When it snows in Freer, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Freer, TX, 5.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78357
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 2 – December 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 16 – December 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 13 – January 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 10 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 78357 is 5 miles from Freer, TX, which stands at 562 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78357 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.