USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 78390 — Taft, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Welder Wildlife Foundation, TX (50 ft), 10 miles north.
Updated
In Taft, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 24 in half of years and has passed by March 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 283 days (NOAA, Welder Wildlife Foundation, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 24
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 283 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"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Taft
Half of springs at Welder Wildlife Foundation, TX see their last 32°F night by February 24; only one in ten is past it by January 18, and one in ten still has one after March 15. Planting tender crops after March 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 9 20%, and after March 15 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 63% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 1 in half of years, as early as November 9 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 5, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 283 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 324 days one year in ten and falls short of 252 one year in ten. On average 8 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 8, and return around November 18. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 55% of winters and 16°F in 2%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F | Jan 18 | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 24°F55% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 24 |
| 20°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 32°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 24 |
| 24°F55% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Welder Wildlife Foundation, 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 78390 →Compare Taft with another place →
Weather by month in Taft
August is the warmest month at Welder Wildlife Foundation, TX, averaging 94°F by day and 74°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 65% of years and March still brings one in 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,635 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 80% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,304) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,049. Precipitation totals 36.3 inches a year, most in September (5.7") and least in April (1.9"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 44 | 2.0 | 82% | 3 | 200 |
| Feb | 70 | 48 | 2.0 | 65% | 2 | 268 |
| Mar | 75 | 54 | 2.8 | 41% | 1 | 453 |
| Apr | 80 | 60 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 606 |
| May | 86 | 68 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Jun | 91 | 73 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 948 |
| Jul | 92 | 74 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 1029 |
| Aug | 94 | 74 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 1049 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Oct | 84 | 62 | 3.7 | 3% | 0 | 700 |
| Nov | 75 | 52 | 2.6 | 46% | 1 | 415 |
| Dec | 68 | 45 | 2.0 | 79% | 3 | 248 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Welder Wildlife Foundation, TX (50 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, 11 miles northwest of Taft, has a last frost 23 days earlier (February 1), a first frost 16 days later (December 17), a season 41 days longer.
When it snows in Taft, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Welder Wildlife Foundation, TX, 9.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78390
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 16 – December 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 30 – January 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 24 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 78390 is 10 miles from Welder Wildlife Foundation, TX, which stands at 50 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78390 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.