USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78758 — Austin, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Austin Great Hills, TX (880 ft), 4 miles northwest.
Updated
In Austin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 11 in half of years and has passed by March 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 254 days (NOAA, Austin Great Hills, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 11
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 254 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
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Austin
Half of springs at Austin Great Hills, TX see their last 32°F night by March 11; only one in ten is past it by February 22, and one in ten still has one after March 29. Planting tender crops after March 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 23 20%, and after March 29 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 75% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 20 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 19, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 254 days in a typical year, longer than at 58% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 278 days one year in ten and falls short of 230 one year in ten. On average 27 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 25, and return around November 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 94% of winters and 16°F in 22%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 32°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 20°F63% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 27 |
| 20°F63% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 28 | Feb 14 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Austin Great Hills, 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 78758 →Compare Austin with another place →
Weather by month in Austin
August is the warmest month at Austin Great Hills, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 38°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,698 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,778) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,064. Precipitation totals 37.1 inches a year, most in October (4.6") and least in February (2.0"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 38 | 2.6 | 100% | 9 | 92 |
| Feb | 65 | 41 | 2.0 | 94% | 7 | 164 |
| Mar | 72 | 48 | 3.0 | 77% | 2 | 330 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 2.3 | 6% | 0 | 505 |
| May | 84 | 64 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 746 |
| Jun | 92 | 70 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Jul | 96 | 73 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 1059 |
| Aug | 96 | 72 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 1064 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 838 |
| Oct | 80 | 57 | 4.6 | 6% | <1 | 580 |
| Nov | 69 | 47 | 2.8 | 73% | 3 | 269 |
| Dec | 61 | 39 | 2.8 | 98% | 7 | 110 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Austin Great Hills, TX (880 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-Camp Mabry, TX, 6 miles southwest of Austin and 210 feet lower, has a last frost 19 days earlier (February 20), a first frost 13 days later (December 3), a season 37 days longer.
When it snows in Austin, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Austin-Camp Mabry, TX, 5.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78758
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 31 – January 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 14 – January 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 78758 is 4 miles from Austin Great Hills, TX, which stands at 880 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 15 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 78660 (Pflugerville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78758 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.