USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 79081 — Spearman, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Spearman, TX (3,095 ft), under a mile north.
Updated
In Spearman, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 8 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Spearman, TX).
- Last spring frost
- April 8
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 209 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
- November 30
- Last snow
- March 3
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 11.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Spearman
Half of springs at Spearman, TX see their last 32°F night by April 8; only one in ten is past it by March 21, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 24 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 91% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 4 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 232 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 102 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 19, and return around October 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 13 and February 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 27 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Spearman, 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 79081 →Compare Spearman with another place →
Weather by month in Spearman
July is the warmest month at Spearman, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 25°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 70% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,024 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 351 Texas stations. 37% of them (1,884) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 984.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 25 | 100% | 26 | 15 |
| Feb | 59 | 27 | 100% | 19 | 31 |
| Mar | 68 | 35 | 99% | 13 | 151 |
| Apr | 75 | 43 | 70% | 3 | 298 |
| May | 83 | 53 | 3% | 0 | 563 |
| Jun | 92 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 826 |
| Jul | 96 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 984 |
| Aug | 95 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Sep | 88 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 694 |
| Oct | 78 | 47 | 35% | 2 | 385 |
| Nov | 65 | 34 | 100% | 13 | 122 |
| Dec | 53 | 26 | 100% | 25 | 16 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Spearman, TX (3,095 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, Gruver, TX, 13 miles northwest of Spearman, has a last frost 13 days later (April 21), a first frost 12 days earlier (October 23), a season 27 days shorter.
When it snows in Spearman, Texas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Spearman usually arrives around November 30, and the last of the season around March 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Gruver, TX, 13.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 79081
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 28 – February 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 79081 is under a mile from Spearman, TX, which stands at 3,095 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79081 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.