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USDA Hardiness Zone 7b

Frost Dates for 79079 — Shamrock, Texas

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Shamrock #2, TX (2,360 ft), 2 miles southeast.

Updated

In Shamrock, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Shamrock #2, TX).

Last spring frost
April 9

50% probability

First fall frost
October 30

50% probability

Growing season
202 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7b

5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night

First snow
December 11

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 15

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
73%

16 of 22 observed

Snow per year
9.1"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Shamrock

Half of springs at Shamrock #2, TX see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 26 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% 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 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 7 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 224 days one year in ten and falls short of 181 one year in ten. On average 97 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 20, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and February 21.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Shamrock #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 79079 →Compare Shamrock with another place →

Weather by month in Shamrock

July is the warmest month at Shamrock #2, TX, averaging 94°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°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 80% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 4,634 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 351 Texas stations. 37% of them (1,715) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 953. Precipitation totals 25.2 inches a year, most in June (3.7") and least in January (0.8"); May to September bring 58% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Shamrock #2, TX
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan50240.8100%2610
Feb55270.9100%2025
Mar64351.799%11114
Apr72432.580%3258
May81533.43%<1522
Jun89633.70%0786
Jul94682.40%0953
Aug93662.80%0908
Sep85582.40%0646
Oct73452.356%1315
Nov61341.3100%1283
Dec51261.0100%2514

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Shamrock #2, TX (2,360 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, Wellington, TX, 27 miles south of Shamrock and 320 feet lower, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 1), a first frost 5 days later (November 4), a season 13 days longer.

Frost dates for 79095 (Wellington) →

When it snows in Shamrock, Texas

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Shamrock usually arrives around December 11, and the last of the season around February 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Shamrock #2, TX, 1.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 73% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 53 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 79079

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Shamrock, Texas
WhenWhat to do
January 29 – February 12Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 12 – February 26Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 12 – March 26Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 9 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 79079 is 2 miles from Shamrock #2, TX, which stands at 2,360 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79079 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 7b places in Texas