USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 79562 — Tuscola, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Merkel 12 SW, TX (2,249 ft), 14 miles northwest.
Updated
In Tuscola, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 2 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 215 days (NOAA, Merkel 12 SW, TX).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 215 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 42%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tuscola
Half of springs at Merkel 12 SW, TX see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 15, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 75% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 3 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 215 days in a typical year, shorter than at 89% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 240 days one year in ten and falls short of 192 one year in ten. On average 68 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 12 days longer, to about April 14, and return around October 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between December 21 and February 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 27 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 20°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Merkel 12 SW, 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 79562 →Compare Tuscola with another place →
Weather by month in Tuscola
July is the warmest month at Merkel 12 SW, TX, averaging 94°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 31°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 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,707 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,315) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 995.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 31 | 100% | 20 | 49 |
| Feb | 61 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 88 |
| Mar | 69 | 41 | 98% | 6 | 220 |
| Apr | 78 | 49 | 54% | 2 | 405 |
| May | 85 | 59 | 0% | <1 | 679 |
| Jun | 91 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Jul | 94 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Aug | 93 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Sep | 86 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 731 |
| Oct | 78 | 51 | 36% | 2 | 462 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 97% | 8 | 175 |
| Dec | 57 | 33 | 100% | 16 | 63 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Merkel 12 SW, TX (2,249 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, Wingate, TX, 18 miles southwest of Tuscola and 237 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (April 3), a first frost 1 day later (November 4), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Tuscola, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Tuscola 2NW, TX, 4.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 79562
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 79562 is 14 miles from Merkel 12 SW, TX, which stands at 2,249 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 79536 (Merkel). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79562 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.