USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 79707 — Midland, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Midland Odessa, TX (2,868 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Midland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 18 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 14, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 239 days (NOAA, Midland Odessa, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 18
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 239 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
- December 15
- Last snow
- January 30
- Winters with snow
- 87%
- Snow per year
- 4.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Midland
Half of springs at Midland Odessa, TX see their last 32°F night by March 18; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 14 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 239 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 264 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 one year in ten. On average 58 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 16 days longer, to about April 3, and return around November 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 49%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F | Jan 21 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 23 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 |
| 24°F | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Midland Odessa, 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 79707 →Compare Midland with another place →
Weather by month in Midland
July is the warmest month at Midland Odessa, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 85% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,345 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (2,697) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,065. Precipitation totals 13.6 inches a year, most in June (1.8") and least in February (0.6"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 33 | 0.7 | 100% | 19 | 51 |
| Feb | 64 | 37 | 0.6 | 100% | 11 | 108 |
| Mar | 72 | 44 | 0.7 | 85% | 4 | 284 |
| Apr | 81 | 52 | 0.7 | 24% | 1 | 489 |
| May | 89 | 62 | 1.6 | 1% | 0 | 786 |
| Jun | 95 | 70 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 979 |
| Jul | 96 | 73 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 1065 |
| Aug | 95 | 72 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 1031 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Oct | 79 | 54 | 1.2 | 9% | 1 | 518 |
| Nov | 67 | 42 | 0.7 | 90% | 6 | 190 |
| Dec | 59 | 34 | 0.6 | 100% | 17 | 59 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Midland Odessa, TX (2,868 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, Midland 4 ENE, TX, 8 miles east of Midland, has a last frost 8 days later (March 26), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 9), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Midland, Texas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Midland usually arrives around December 15, and the last of the season around January 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Midland Odessa, TX, 5.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 87% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 47 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 79707
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 7 – January 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 21 – February 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 14 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 79707 is 6 miles from Midland Odessa, TX, which stands at 2,868 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 79707 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.