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USDA Hardiness Zone 7a

Frost Dates for 79070 — Perryton, Texas

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Perryton, TX (2,942 ft), 4 miles north.

Updated

In Perryton, 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 30, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 197 days (NOAA, Perryton, TX).

Last spring frost
April 14

50% probability

First fall frost
October 30

50% probability

Growing season
197 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7a

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

First snow
December 9

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 19

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

25 of 25 observed

Snow per year
13.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Perryton

Half of springs at Perryton, TX see their last 32°F night by April 14; only one in ten is past it by March 29, 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 24 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 30 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 197 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 177 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 11 days longer, to about April 25, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and February 26.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Perryton, 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 79070 →Compare Perryton with another place →

Weather by month in Perryton

July is the warmest month at Perryton, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 24°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 4,782 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 93% of the 351 Texas stations. 37% of them (1,756) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 990. Precipitation totals 22.9 inches a year, most in July (3.5") and least in February (0.6"); May to September bring 63% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Perryton, TX
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan51240.7100%297
Feb55260.6100%2522
Mar65341.5100%18108
Apr73421.984%7259
May82532.88%1537
Jun91643.20%0823
Jul96683.50%0990
Aug93673.00%0930
Sep87591.91%<1683
Oct74462.054%4331
Nov62330.8100%1983
Dec51251.0100%2810

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Perryton, TX (2,942 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, Spearman, TX, 22 miles southwest of Perryton and 153 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 5 days later (November 4), a season 12 days longer.

Frost dates for 79081 (Spearman) →

When it snows in Perryton, Texas

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Perryton usually arrives around December 9, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Perryton, TX, 3.7 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 79070

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Perryton, Texas
WhenWhat to do
February 3 – February 17Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 17 – March 3Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 17 – March 31Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 14 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 7Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 16Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 30 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 79070 is 4 miles from Perryton, TX, which stands at 2,942 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79070 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