USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 78606 — Blanco, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Blanco, TX (1,310 ft), 1 miles east.
Updated
In Blanco, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 236 days (NOAA, Blanco, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 236 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
- 12%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Blanco
Half of springs at Blanco, TX see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 8 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 November 10 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 236 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 263 days one year in ten and falls short of 209 one year in ten. On average 44 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 14 days longer, to about April 3, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 38%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 8 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 20 | Jan 3 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 17 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 21 | Feb 10 |
| 16°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Blanco, 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 78606 →Compare Blanco with another place →
Weather by month in Blanco
August is the warmest month at Blanco, TX, averaging 94°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 85% of years and April still brings one in 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,141 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,511) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 992. Precipitation totals 34.8 inches a year, most in May (5.0") and least in July (1.8"); 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 | 35 | 2.3 | 100% | 14 | 78 |
| Feb | 64 | 39 | 1.9 | 96% | 9 | 124 |
| Mar | 70 | 46 | 2.9 | 85% | 4 | 286 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 2.8 | 25% | 1 | 454 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 984 |
| Aug | 94 | 70 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 992 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 4.0 | 19% | <1 | 527 |
| Nov | 68 | 45 | 2.9 | 86% | 5 | 242 |
| Dec | 61 | 37 | 2.2 | 99% | 12 | 106 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Blanco, TX (1,310 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, Johnson City 2N, TX, 14 miles north of Blanco and 173 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days later (March 22), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 9), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Blanco, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Blanco, TX, 1.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78606
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 9 – January 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 10 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 78606 is 1 mile from Blanco, TX, which stands at 1,310 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78606 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.