USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78852 — Eagle Pass, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Eagle Pass 3N, TX (812 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Eagle Pass, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 19 in half of years and has passed by March 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 287 days (NOAA, Eagle Pass 3N, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 19
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 287 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Eagle Pass
Half of springs at Eagle Pass 3N, TX see their last 32°F night by February 19; only one in ten is past it by January 22, and one in ten still has one after March 10. Planting tender crops after February 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 2 20%, and after March 10 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 December 1 in half of years, as early as November 14 one year in ten, and holds off past December 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 1, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 287 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 321 days one year in ten and falls short of 257 one year in ten. On average 13 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 11 days longer, to about March 2, and return around November 20. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 59% of winters and 16°F in 4%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| 32°F | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 19 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 |
| 24°F59% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 |
| 20°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 32°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 | Jan 20 |
| 24°F59% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 20 | Feb 6 |
| 20°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Eagle Pass 3N, 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 78852 →Compare Eagle Pass with another place →
Weather by month in Eagle Pass
August is the warmest month at Eagle Pass 3N, TX, averaging 99°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 65°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in 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 73% of years and March still brings one in 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,604 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 80% of the 351 Texas stations. 44% of them (3,333) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,130. Precipitation totals 20.7 inches a year, most in September (3.3") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 58% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65 | 40 | 0.7 | 92% | 5 | 137 |
| Feb | 70 | 43 | 0.7 | 73% | 3 | 219 |
| Mar | 78 | 51 | 1.2 | 26% | 1 | 456 |
| Apr | 84 | 58 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| May | 90 | 66 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Jun | 96 | 72 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 1017 |
| Jul | 98 | 74 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 1105 |
| Aug | 99 | 74 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 1130 |
| Sep | 92 | 69 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 914 |
| Oct | 83 | 59 | 2.1 | 1% | 0 | 663 |
| Nov | 72 | 48 | 1.1 | 44% | 1 | 326 |
| Dec | 65 | 40 | 0.8 | 87% | 4 | 134 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Eagle Pass 3N, TX (812 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, Crystal City, TX, 39 miles east of Eagle Pass and 232 feet lower, has a last frost 9 days earlier (February 10), a first frost 9 days later (December 10), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Eagle Pass, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Eagle Pass 3N, TX, 2.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78852
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 11 – December 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 25 – January 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 1 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 78852 is 3 miles from Eagle Pass 3N, TX, which stands at 812 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78852 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.