USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 79065 — Pampa, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pampa #2, TX (3,150 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Pampa, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 14 in half of years and has passed by April 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, Pampa #2, TX).
- Last spring frost
- April 14
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 194 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 3
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 15.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pampa
Half of springs at Pampa #2, TX see their last 32°F night by April 14; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after April 29. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 23 20%, and after April 29 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 94% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 28 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 216 days one year in ten and falls short of 174 one year in ten. On average 110 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 24, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and February 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Jan 31 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pampa #2, 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 79065 →Compare Pampa with another place →
Weather by month in Pampa
July is the warmest month at Pampa #2, TX, averaging 93°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 23°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 84% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,464 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 351 Texas stations. 37% of them (1,634) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 925. Precipitation totals 22.8 inches a year, most in June (3.2") and least in February (0.6"); May to September bring 59% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 23 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 10 |
| Feb | 54 | 26 | 0.6 | 100% | 22 | 23 |
| Mar | 63 | 33 | 1.5 | 100% | 14 | 101 |
| Apr | 71 | 42 | 2.2 | 84% | 4 | 239 |
| May | 80 | 52 | 2.8 | 6% | <1 | 497 |
| Jun | 88 | 63 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 763 |
| Jul | 93 | 67 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Aug | 91 | 66 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Sep | 84 | 58 | 1.9 | 1% | <1 | 627 |
| Oct | 73 | 45 | 2.2 | 62% | 3 | 304 |
| Nov | 60 | 33 | 1.0 | 100% | 15 | 80 |
| Dec | 50 | 25 | 1.0 | 100% | 26 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pampa #2, TX (3,150 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, Miami, TX, 21 miles northeast of Pampa and 403 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days later (April 16), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 26), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Pampa, Texas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pampa usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pampa #2, TX, 1.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 79065
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 3 – February 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 79065 is 2 miles from Pampa #2, TX, which stands at 3,150 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79065 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.
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.