USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 78940 — ZIP 78940
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from La Grange, TX (357 ft), 13 miles west.
Updated
In ZIP 78940, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 4 in half of years and has passed by March 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 25, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 267 days (NOAA, La Grange, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 4
- First fall frost
- November 25
- Growing season
- 267 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 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in ZIP 78940
Half of springs at La Grange, TX see their last 32°F night by March 4; only one in ten is past it by February 6, and one in ten still has one after March 25. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 25 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date measure how much the end of the frost season moves from year to year, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 25 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 267 days in a typical year; it reaches 298 days one year in ten and falls short of 238 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 13 days longer, to about March 17, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 76% of winters and 16°F in 12%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 32°F | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F76% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 24°F76% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at La Grange, 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 78940 →Compare ZIP 78940 with another place →
Weather by month in ZIP 78940
August is the warmest month at La Grange, TX, averaging 97°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°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 84% of years and March still brings one in 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,228 growing degree days a year (base 50°F). 42% of them (3,007) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,102. Precipitation totals 39.8 inches a year, most in May (4.4") and least in July (2.1"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 40 | 3.2 | 94% | 7 | 135 |
| Feb | 65 | 44 | 2.7 | 84% | 3 | 181 |
| Mar | 72 | 50 | 3.2 | 57% | 1 | 364 |
| Apr | 80 | 57 | 3.0 | 5% | <1 | 554 |
| May | 86 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 809 |
| Jun | 92 | 72 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 964 |
| Jul | 97 | 74 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 1090 |
| Aug | 97 | 74 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 1102 |
| Sep | 91 | 69 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 895 |
| Oct | 83 | 59 | 4.3 | 3% | 0 | 641 |
| Nov | 71 | 49 | 3.7 | 58% | 2 | 325 |
| Dec | 64 | 42 | 3.4 | 90% | 6 | 169 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at La Grange, TX (357 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, Columbus, TX, 18 miles south of ZIP 78940, has a last frost 5 days later (March 9), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 20), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in ZIP 78940
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at La Grange, TX, 13.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 78940
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 24 – January 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 7 – January 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 25 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 78940 is 13 miles from La Grange, TX, which stands at 357 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 78945 (La Grange). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 78940 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.