USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 78389 — Skidmore, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beeville 5 NE, TX (255 ft), 15 miles north.
Updated
In Skidmore, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 17 in half of years and has passed by March 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 8, as early as November 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 299 days (NOAA, Beeville 5 NE, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 17
- First fall frost
- December 8
- Growing season
- 299 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 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Skidmore
Half of springs at Beeville 5 NE, TX see their last 32°F night by February 17; only one in ten is past it by January 14, and one in ten still has one after March 12. Planting tender crops after March 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 5 20%, and after March 12 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 72% 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 8 in half of years, as early as November 18 one year in ten, and holds off past January 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 27; 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 299 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 339 days one year in ten and falls short of 264 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 March 4, and return around November 26. A 24°F night is unusual: 38% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 5 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| 28°F81% of yrs | Dec 18 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Mar 3 |
| 24°F38% 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 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 |
| 28°F81% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Feb 3 |
| 24°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beeville 5 NE, 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 78389 →Compare Skidmore with another place →
Weather by month in Skidmore
August is the warmest month at Beeville 5 NE, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 66°F and 44°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 56% of years and March still brings one in 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,696 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 83% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,320) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,071. Precipitation totals 32.1 inches a year, most in September (4.1") and least in February (1.6"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 44 | 1.8 | 78% | 3 | 201 |
| Feb | 69 | 47 | 1.6 | 56% | 2 | 260 |
| Mar | 75 | 54 | 2.5 | 31% | 1 | 450 |
| Apr | 81 | 60 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 607 |
| May | 87 | 67 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 840 |
| Jun | 92 | 72 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 1040 |
| Aug | 96 | 73 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 1071 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 899 |
| Oct | 84 | 61 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 704 |
| Nov | 75 | 53 | 2.5 | 30% | 1 | 423 |
| Dec | 67 | 45 | 1.8 | 70% | 3 | 239 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beeville 5 NE, TX (255 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, Sinton, TX, 16 miles southeast of Skidmore and 207 feet lower, has a last frost 16 days earlier (February 1), a first frost 9 days later (December 17), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Skidmore, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Beeville 5 NE, TX, 15.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78389
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 9 – December 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 23 – January 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 20 – February 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 8 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 78389 is 15 miles from Beeville 5 NE, TX, which stands at 255 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 78102 (Beeville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78389 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.