USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78662 — Red Rock, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cedar Creek 5 S, TX (436 ft), 6 miles northwest.
Updated
In Red Rock, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 14 in half of years and has passed by April 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 250 days (NOAA, Cedar Creek 5 S, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 14
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 250 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Red Rock
Half of springs at Cedar Creek 5 S, TX see their last 32°F night by March 14; only one in ten is past it by February 22, and one in ten still has one after April 3. Planting tender crops after March 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 27 20%, and after April 3 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 51% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 19 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 22, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 250 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 279 days one year in ten and falls short of 222 one year in ten. On average 38 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 12 days longer, to about March 26, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 21%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 32°F | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 3 |
| 28°F | Jan 29 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 10 | Feb 25 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 31 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 30 | Feb 21 |
| 16°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cedar Creek 5 S, 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 78662 →Compare Red Rock with another place →
Weather by month in Red Rock
August is the warmest month at Cedar Creek 5 S, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 37°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 79% of years and April still brings one in 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,844 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,812) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,080. Precipitation totals 37.8 inches a year, most in October (5.1") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 37 | 2.6 | 100% | 11 | 111 |
| Feb | 66 | 42 | 2.2 | 91% | 8 | 164 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 3.2 | 79% | 3 | 324 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 2.7 | 13% | 1 | 509 |
| May | 85 | 64 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 763 |
| Jun | 92 | 71 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Jul | 96 | 73 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 1054 |
| Aug | 97 | 73 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 1080 |
| Sep | 91 | 67 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Oct | 82 | 56 | 5.1 | 10% | 1 | 596 |
| Nov | 72 | 46 | 3.2 | 71% | 3 | 297 |
| Dec | 64 | 39 | 2.9 | 98% | 12 | 142 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cedar Creek 5 S, TX (436 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, Smithville, TX, 16 miles east of Red Rock, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 12), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Red Rock, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cedar Creek 5 S, TX, 5.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78662
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 3 – January 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 78662 is 6 miles from Cedar Creek 5 S, TX, which stands at 436 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 78612 (Cedar Creek). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78662 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.