Frost Dates for 79339 — Littlefield, Texas

Half of springs at Littlefield, TX see their last 32°F night by April 14; only one in ten is past it by March 30, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 28 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 192 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 174 one year in ten. On average 109 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 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and February 21.

July is the warmest month at Littlefield, TX, averaging 93°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°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 86% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 4,429 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 351 Texas stations. 39% of them (1,728) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 882. Precipitation totals 18.2 inches a year, most in June (2.9") and least in February (0.6"); May to September bring 65% of it.

The nearest other station, Olton, TX, 22 miles northeast of Littlefield and 174 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 6), a first frost 6 days later (November 1), a season 14 days longer.

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Littlefield usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Littlefield, TX, 4.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 86% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 47 days after the last snow.

ZIP 79339 is 4 miles from Littlefield, TX, which stands at 3,466 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79339 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.