USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78650 — Mc Dade, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elgin 1 N, TX (594 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Mc Dade, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 4 in half of years and has passed by March 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 24, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 264 days (NOAA, Elgin 1 N, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 4
- First fall frost
- November 24
- Growing season
- 264 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
- 8%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mc Dade
Half of springs at Elgin 1 N, TX see their last 32°F night by March 4; only one in ten is past it by February 12, and one in ten still has one after March 23. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 23 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 24 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 264 days in a typical year, longer than at 68% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 298 days one year in ten and falls short of 238 one year in ten. On average 18 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 March 18, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 89% of winters and 16°F in 16%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 32°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F89% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 25 | Mar 4 |
| 20°F52% of yrs | Dec 21 | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 23 |
| 16°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
| 24°F89% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F52% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 |
| 16°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elgin 1 N, 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 78650 →Compare Mc Dade with another place →
Weather by month in Mc Dade
August is the warmest month at Elgin 1 N, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 39°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 88% of years and March still brings one in 61% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,959 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,882) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,072. Precipitation totals 36.3 inches a year, most in May (4.9") and least in July (2.0"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 3.0 | 98% | 6 | 120 |
| Feb | 64 | 43 | 2.1 | 88% | 4 | 169 |
| Mar | 71 | 49 | 3.2 | 61% | 1 | 344 |
| Apr | 79 | 57 | 2.7 | 3% | 0 | 530 |
| May | 85 | 65 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Jun | 92 | 71 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Jul | 95 | 73 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 1059 |
| Aug | 96 | 73 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 1072 |
| Sep | 90 | 68 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 868 |
| Oct | 81 | 58 | 4.0 | 3% | 0 | 617 |
| Nov | 70 | 49 | 3.1 | 63% | 2 | 313 |
| Dec | 62 | 41 | 3.0 | 96% | 5 | 147 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elgin 1 N, TX (594 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, Lexington, TX, 16 miles northeast of Mc Dade and 171 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (March 5), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 21), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Mc Dade, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elgin 1 N, TX, 9.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78650
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 24 – January 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 7 – January 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 24 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 78650 is 10 miles from Elgin 1 N, TX, which stands at 594 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 78653 (Manor). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78650 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.