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USDA Hardiness Zone 7a

Frost Dates for 79027 — Dimmitt, Texas

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dimmitt 2 N, TX (3,850 ft), 5 miles northeast.

Updated

In Dimmitt, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Dimmitt 2 N, TX).

Last spring frost
April 22

50% probability

First fall frost
October 23

50% probability

Growing season
182 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7a

0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night

First snow
November 30

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 5

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
96%

27 of 28 observed

Snow per year
9.8"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Dimmitt

Half of springs at Dimmitt 2 N, TX see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 4 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 99% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 201 days one year in ten and falls short of 164 one year in ten. On average 131 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 8 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 30 and March 2.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 19Apr 22Apr 26Apr 29Apr 30May 3May 5May 7May 11
32°FApr 8Apr 12Apr 16Apr 20Apr 22Apr 24Apr 27Apr 30May 4
28°FMar 25Mar 31Apr 3Apr 7Apr 10Apr 13Apr 17Apr 21Apr 27
24°FMar 9Mar 16Mar 20Mar 25Mar 30Apr 2Apr 5Apr 9Apr 16
20°FFeb 25Mar 3Mar 6Mar 10Mar 14Mar 19Mar 24Mar 30Apr 3
16°FFeb 10Feb 17Feb 23Feb 27Mar 2Mar 5Mar 8Mar 13Mar 20
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 15
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25
20°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4
16°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 18

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dimmitt 2 N, 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 79027 →Compare Dimmitt with another place →

Weather by month in Dimmitt

July is the warmest month at Dimmitt 2 N, TX, averaging 92°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 19% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 4,111 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 351 Texas stations. 37% of them (1,533) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 854. Precipitation totals 21.0 inches a year, most in June (3.6") and least in February (0.5"); May to September bring 67% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dimmitt 2 N, TX
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan51220.6100%296
Feb56250.5100%2417
Mar64311.0100%1881
Apr72391.397%8210
May81492.619%1475
Jun90603.60%0744
Jul92632.40%0854
Aug90623.10%0814
Sep83552.42%<1569
Oct73432.179%5273
Nov61310.7100%1960
Dec51240.7100%288

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dimmitt 2 N, TX (3,850 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, Hereford, TX, 19 miles north of Dimmitt, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 17), a first frost 2 days later (October 25), a season 7 days longer.

Frost dates for 79045 (Hereford) →

When it snows in Dimmitt, Texas

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Dimmitt usually arrives around November 30, and the last of the season around March 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Dimmitt 2 N, TX, 4.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 48 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 79027

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Dimmitt, Texas
WhenWhat to do
February 11 – February 25Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 25 – March 11Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 25 – April 8Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 22 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 31Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 9Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 23 onwardPlant 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 79027 is 5 miles from Dimmitt 2 N, TX, which stands at 3,850 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79027 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.

Frost dates across Texas →

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.

Other zone 7a places in Texas