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USDA Hardiness Zone 8b

Frost Dates for 78639 — Kingsland, Texas

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Llano, TX (1,020 ft), 14 miles northwest.

Updated

In Kingsland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 235 days (NOAA, Llano, TX).

Last spring frost
March 20

50% probability

First fall frost
November 10

50% probability

Growing season
235 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
8b

15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night

First snow
Rare

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
Rare

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
4%

1 of 25 observed

Snow per year
0.1"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Kingsland

Half of springs at Llano, 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 11. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 63% 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 10 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 26, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 235 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 264 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 50 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 April 4, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 50%.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMar 15Mar 22Mar 28Apr 1Apr 4Apr 8Apr 12Apr 16Apr 22
32°FFeb 28Mar 6Mar 12Mar 16Mar 20Mar 25Mar 31Apr 4Apr 11
28°FFeb 9Feb 19Feb 25Mar 1Mar 5Mar 10Mar 14Mar 19Mar 26
24°F99% of yrsJan 18Jan 28Feb 3Feb 11Feb 19Feb 24Mar 2Mar 6Mar 13
20°F88% of yrsDec 19Jan 1Jan 12Jan 19Jan 26Jan 31Feb 7Feb 20Mar 2
16°F50% of yrstoo rare for a date
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 18
32°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23Nov 30
28°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 10
24°F99% of yrsNov 14Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 21Jan 1
20°F88% of yrsNov 25Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 20
16°F50% of yrstoo rare for a date

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Llano, 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 78639 →Compare Kingsland with another place →

Weather by month in Kingsland

August is the warmest month at Llano, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 34°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 84% of years and April still brings one in 29% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 6,680 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 61% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,758) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,072. Precipitation totals 27.6 inches a year, most in May (3.9") and least in January (1.5"); May to September bring 47% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Llano, TX
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan62341.5100%1582
Feb66391.797%9142
Mar73462.484%4313
Apr80532.129%1504
May86643.90%0769
Jun93703.30%0948
Jul96731.80%01071
Aug97721.60%01072
Sep91662.30%0842
Oct82553.016%1569
Nov71442.189%7261
Dec64351.999%14107

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Llano, TX (1,020 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 Municipal Airport, TX, 14 miles northeast of Kingsland and 268 feet higher, has a last frost 14 days earlier (March 6), a first frost 13 days later (November 23), a season 27 days longer.

Frost dates for 78654 (Marble Falls) →

When it snows in Kingsland, Texas

Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Llano, TX, 13.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.

Planting calendar for 78639

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Kingsland, Texas
WhenWhat to do
January 9 – January 23Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
January 23 – February 6Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
February 20 – March 6Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
March 20 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 18Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 27Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
November 10 onwardPlant 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 78639 is 14 miles from Llano, TX, which stands at 1,020 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78639 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.

Frost dates across Texas →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 8b places in Texas