Frost Dates for 79045 — Hereford, Texas

Half of springs at Hereford, TX see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 1 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 96% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 25 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 189 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 208 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 118 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 10 days longer, to about April 27, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and February 23.

July is the warmest month at Hereford, TX, averaging 92°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 23°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 10% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 4,264 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 97% of the 351 Texas stations. 37% of them (1,595) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 887. Precipitation totals 19.3 inches a year, most in June (3.3") and least in February (0.5"); May to September bring 65% of it.

The nearest other station, Dimmitt 2 N, TX, 20 miles south of Hereford, has a last frost 5 days later (April 22), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 23), a season 7 days shorter.

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hereford usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around March 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hereford, TX, 2.8 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 25 days after the last snow.

ZIP 79045 is 3 miles from Hereford, TX, which stands at 3,820 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79045 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.