USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78861 — Hondo, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hondo, TX (879 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Hondo, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 27, as early as November 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 274 days (NOAA, Hondo, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- November 27
- Growing season
- 274 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 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hondo
Half of springs at Hondo, TX see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by February 3, and one in ten still has one after March 17. Planting tender crops after March 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 11 20%, and after March 17 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 27 in half of years, as early as November 8 one year in ten, and holds off past December 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around December 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 7, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 274 days in a typical year, longer than at 74% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 304 days one year in ten and falls short of 247 one year in ten. On average 19 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 11, and return around November 16. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 80% of winters and 16°F in 11%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 23 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 |
| 20°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 32°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 31 |
| 20°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hondo, 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 78861 →Compare Hondo with another place →
Weather by month in Hondo
August is the warmest month at Hondo, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 65°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 84% of years and March still brings one in 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,377 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,177) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,079. Precipitation totals 30.8 inches a year, most in May (4.4") and least in January (1.5"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65 | 39 | 1.5 | 97% | 7 | 144 |
| Feb | 70 | 44 | 1.5 | 84% | 4 | 226 |
| Mar | 76 | 52 | 2.4 | 49% | 1 | 432 |
| Apr | 82 | 57 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 587 |
| May | 87 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Jun | 93 | 71 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 970 |
| Jul | 95 | 73 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 1059 |
| Aug | 97 | 73 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 1079 |
| Sep | 91 | 68 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 887 |
| Oct | 83 | 60 | 3.0 | 2% | <1 | 666 |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 1.8 | 57% | 1 | 346 |
| Dec | 66 | 41 | 1.5 | 92% | 7 | 165 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hondo, TX (879 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, Lytle 3W, TX, 20 miles southeast of Hondo and 157 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days earlier (February 24), a first frost 5 days later (December 2), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Hondo, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hondo, TX, 3.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78861
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 20 – January 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 27 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 78861 is 3 miles from Hondo, TX, which stands at 879 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78861 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.