USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 79745 — Kermit, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kermit, TX (2,830 ft), under a mile southwest.
Updated
In Kermit, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Kermit, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 230 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
- 38%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kermit
Half of springs at Kermit, TX see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 15 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 51% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 11 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 74 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 13 days longer, to about April 8, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 80%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Dec 20 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 5 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kermit, 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 79745 →Compare Kermit with another place →
Weather by month in Kermit
July is the warmest month at Kermit, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 29°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 37% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,803 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,441) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 983.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 29 | 100% | 23 | 36 |
| Feb | 65 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 87 |
| Mar | 73 | 40 | 94% | 5 | 242 |
| Apr | 81 | 47 | 37% | 1 | 431 |
| May | 88 | 58 | 4% | <1 | 712 |
| Jun | 95 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 934 |
| Jul | 95 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 983 |
| Aug | 95 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 965 |
| Sep | 88 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 747 |
| Oct | 80 | 50 | 17% | 1 | 472 |
| Nov | 68 | 37 | 95% | 8 | 152 |
| Dec | 61 | 30 | 100% | 21 | 42 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kermit, TX (2,830 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, Jal, NM, 19 miles north of Kermit and 224 feet higher, has a last frost 5 days later (March 31), a first frost 8 days earlier (November 3), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Kermit, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Monahans, TX, 23.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 79745
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 79745 is under a mile from Kermit, TX, which stands at 2,830 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79745 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.