USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 79758 — Gardendale, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Odessa Schlemeyer Field, TX (3,001 ft), 7 miles south.
Updated
In Gardendale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 235 days (NOAA, Odessa Schlemeyer Field, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 235 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
- 19%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gardendale
Half of springs at Odessa Schlemeyer Field, TX see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by March 1, 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 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 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 21; 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 235 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 259 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 one year in ten. On average 49 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 15 days longer, to about April 3, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 54%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 7 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F54% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 21 |
| 16°F54% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Odessa Schlemeyer Field, 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 79758 →Compare Gardendale with another place →
Weather by month in Gardendale
July is the warmest month at Odessa Schlemeyer Field, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 89% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,077 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,576) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,035. Precipitation totals 13.0 inches a year, most in September (1.9") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 32 | 0.6 | 100% | 16 | 46 |
| Feb | 63 | 35 | 0.6 | 99% | 10 | 101 |
| Mar | 71 | 43 | 0.7 | 89% | 3 | 260 |
| Apr | 80 | 51 | 0.7 | 24% | <1 | 466 |
| May | 88 | 61 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 752 |
| Jun | 95 | 69 | 1.3 | 0% | 0 | 951 |
| Jul | 95 | 72 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 1035 |
| Aug | 94 | 71 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 1004 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 749 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 1.3 | 13% | <1 | 488 |
| Nov | 67 | 40 | 0.7 | 94% | 5 | 176 |
| Dec | 58 | 32 | 0.6 | 100% | 15 | 49 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Odessa Schlemeyer Field, TX (3,001 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, Odessa, TX, 10 miles south of Gardendale, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 15), a first frost 5 days later (November 16), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Gardendale, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Odessa, TX, 9.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 79758
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 8 – January 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 19 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 79758 is 7 miles from Odessa Schlemeyer Field, TX, which stands at 3,001 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 79764 (Odessa). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79758 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.