USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78638 — Kingsbury, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Luling, TX (400 ft), 7 miles east.
Updated
In Kingsbury, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 5 in half of years and has passed by April 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 23, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 263 days (NOAA, Luling, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 5
- First fall frost
- November 23
- Growing season
- 263 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 6%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kingsbury
Half of springs at Luling, TX see their last 32°F night by March 5; only one in ten is past it by February 7, and one in ten still has one after April 3. Planting tender crops after March 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 23 20%, and after April 3 10%. The 29 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% 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 November 23 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 21 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 263 days in a typical year, longer than at 68% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 294 days one year in ten and falls short of 232 one year in ten. On average 29 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 17 days longer, to about March 22, and return around November 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 81% of winters and 16°F in 9%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 26 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 23 | Apr 3 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F81% of yrs | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 7 |
| 24°F81% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Luling, 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 78638 →Compare Kingsbury with another place →
Weather by month in Kingsbury
August is the warmest month at Luling, TX, averaging 98°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 84% of years and March still brings one in 56% of years and April still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,375 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (3,109) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,108. Precipitation totals 35.5 inches a year, most in May (4.2") and least in July (1.9"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 40 | 2.4 | 93% | 9 | 144 |
| Feb | 68 | 43 | 2.2 | 84% | 5 | 198 |
| Mar | 74 | 50 | 2.7 | 56% | 2 | 395 |
| Apr | 81 | 57 | 2.9 | 12% | <1 | 564 |
| May | 88 | 66 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 823 |
| Jun | 94 | 72 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 985 |
| Jul | 97 | 74 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 1094 |
| Aug | 98 | 73 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 1108 |
| Sep | 92 | 68 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 899 |
| Oct | 84 | 58 | 4.2 | 4% | <1 | 649 |
| Nov | 73 | 48 | 2.6 | 65% | 4 | 343 |
| Dec | 65 | 41 | 2.8 | 93% | 9 | 173 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Luling, TX (400 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, Austin San Antonio, TX, 16 miles west of Kingsbury and 233 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 1), a first frost 3 days later (November 26), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Kingsbury, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Kingsbury, TX, 1.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78638
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 25 – January 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 23 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 78638 is 7 miles from Luling, TX, which stands at 400 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 78644 (Lockhart). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78638 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.