USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 79756 — Monahans, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Monahans, TX (2,547 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Monahans, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Monahans, TX).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 216 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 Monahans
Half of springs at Monahans, TX see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 11, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 21 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 6 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 240 days one year in ten and falls short of 192 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 12 days longer, to about April 15, and return around October 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 91% of winters, usually between December 18 and January 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 11 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F91% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F91% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Monahans, 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 79756 →Compare Monahans with another place →
Weather by month in Monahans
July is the warmest month at Monahans, TX, averaging 98°F by day and 69°F at night; December is the coldest at 60°F and 27°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 59% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,925 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (2,452) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,042. Precipitation totals 13.9 inches a year, most in September (2.2") and least in April (0.4"); May to September bring 64% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 28 | 0.7 | 100% | 22 | 25 |
| Feb | 66 | 31 | 0.5 | 100% | 13 | 70 |
| Mar | 74 | 39 | 0.6 | 94% | 7 | 231 |
| Apr | 82 | 46 | 0.4 | 59% | 1 | 427 |
| May | 90 | 57 | 1.3 | 1% | 0 | 730 |
| Jun | 97 | 67 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Jul | 98 | 69 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 1042 |
| Aug | 97 | 68 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 1001 |
| Sep | 90 | 62 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 774 |
| Oct | 81 | 49 | 1.5 | 27% | 1 | 478 |
| Nov | 69 | 36 | 0.5 | 99% | 9 | 149 |
| Dec | 60 | 27 | 0.8 | 100% | 21 | 29 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Monahans, TX (2,547 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, Kermit, TX, 22 miles northwest of Monahans and 283 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 5 days later (November 11), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Monahans, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Monahans, TX, 2.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 79756
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 79756 is 2 miles from Monahans, TX, which stands at 2,547 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79756 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.