USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 78605 — Bertram, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Austin 33 NW, TX (1,361 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In Bertram, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by March 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 29, as early as November 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 274 days (NOAA, Austin 33 NW, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- November 29
- Growing season
- 274 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bertram
Half of springs at Austin 33 NW, TX see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by February 6, and one in ten still has one after March 20. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 14 20%, and after March 20 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 75% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 29 in half of years, as early as November 10 one year in ten, and holds off past December 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 274 days in a typical year, longer than at 74% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 304 days one year in ten and falls short of 245 one year in ten. On average 20 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 14, and return around November 18. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 77% of winters and 16°F in 10%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 5 |
| 32°F | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F77% of yrs | Dec 20 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Mar 2 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 32°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 16 |
| 24°F77% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Feb 10 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Austin 33 NW, 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 78605 →Compare Bertram with another place →
Weather by month in Bertram
August is the warmest month at Austin 33 NW, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 85% of years and March still brings one in 55% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,738 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,800) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,050. Precipitation totals 33.2 inches a year, most in May (4.0") and least in January (1.9"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 40 | 1.9 | 95% | 7 | 122 |
| Feb | 63 | 43 | 2.1 | 85% | 5 | 163 |
| Mar | 71 | 50 | 2.7 | 55% | 1 | 339 |
| Apr | 78 | 57 | 2.9 | 2% | 0 | 515 |
| May | 84 | 64 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 743 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1034 |
| Aug | 95 | 73 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 1050 |
| Sep | 88 | 68 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Oct | 79 | 60 | 3.5 | 2% | <1 | 602 |
| Nov | 68 | 49 | 2.9 | 52% | 2 | 288 |
| Dec | 61 | 41 | 2.3 | 92% | 6 | 133 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Austin 33 NW, TX (1,361 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, Burnet, TX, 12 miles west of Bertram, has a last frost 13 days later (March 15), a first frost 18 days earlier (November 11), a season 31 days shorter.
When it snows in Bertram, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bertram 3 ENE, TX, 0.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78605
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 29 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 78605 is 10 miles from Austin 33 NW, TX, which stands at 1,361 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 78642 (Liberty Hill). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78605 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.