USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 78654 — Marble Falls, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Burnet Municipal Airport, TX (1,288 ft), 13 miles north.
Updated
In Marble Falls, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 6 in half of years and has passed by March 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 23, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 262 days (NOAA, Burnet Municipal Airport, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 6
- First fall frost
- November 23
- Growing season
- 262 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Marble Falls
Half of springs at Burnet Municipal Airport, TX see their last 32°F night by March 6; only one in ten is past it by February 13, and one in ten still has one after March 28. Planting tender crops after March 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 28 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 23 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 12 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, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 262 days in a typical year, longer than at 67% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 290 days one year in ten and falls short of 235 one year in ten. On average 26 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 13 days longer, to about March 19, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 88% of winters and 16°F in 13%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 28 |
| 28°F | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 5 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 28°F | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 3 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 16 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Burnet Municipal Airport, 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 78654 →Compare Marble Falls with another place →
Weather by month in Marble Falls
August is the warmest month at Burnet Municipal Airport, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 38°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 90% of years and March still brings one in 61% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,774 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 64% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,812) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,068. Precipitation totals 28.6 inches a year, most in May (3.7") and least in February (1.6"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 38 | 1.7 | 97% | 9 | 105 |
| Feb | 64 | 42 | 1.6 | 90% | 5 | 152 |
| Mar | 72 | 49 | 2.7 | 61% | 2 | 335 |
| Apr | 79 | 56 | 2.1 | 7% | <1 | 524 |
| May | 85 | 64 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 761 |
| Jun | 92 | 71 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 934 |
| Jul | 95 | 73 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 1057 |
| Aug | 96 | 73 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 1068 |
| Sep | 89 | 68 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Oct | 80 | 58 | 3.2 | 5% | 0 | 591 |
| Nov | 69 | 47 | 2.3 | 65% | 2 | 275 |
| Dec | 61 | 40 | 1.9 | 97% | 8 | 120 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Burnet Municipal Airport, TX (1,288 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 33 NW, TX, 14 miles east of Marble Falls, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 2), a first frost 6 days later (November 29), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Marble Falls, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Spicewood, TX, 10.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78654
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 26 – January 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 9 – January 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 6 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 78654 is 13 miles from Burnet Municipal Airport, TX, which stands at 1,288 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 78654 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.