USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 79838 — Fabens, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tornillo 2 SSE, TX (3,525 ft), 8 miles southeast.
Updated
In Fabens, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Tornillo 2 SSE, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 227 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
- 45%
- Snow per year
- 1.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fabens
Half of springs at Tornillo 2 SSE, TX see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 63% 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 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 20, 20 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, shorter than at 79% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 248 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 81 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 19 days longer, to about April 9, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 74%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 12 | Feb 16 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 7 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tornillo 2 SSE, 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 79838 →Compare Fabens with another place →
Weather by month in Fabens
July is the warmest month at Tornillo 2 SSE, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 67°F at night; December 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 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,549 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 88% of the 351 Texas stations. 42% of them (2,356) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 964. Precipitation totals 8.5 inches a year, most in July (1.7") and least in April (0.2"); May to September bring 65% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 29 | 0.4 | 100% | 23 | 21 |
| Feb | 67 | 33 | 0.4 | 100% | 14 | 71 |
| Mar | 75 | 40 | 0.3 | 94% | 6 | 238 |
| Apr | 83 | 47 | 0.2 | 26% | 1 | 436 |
| May | 91 | 54 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Jun | 98 | 63 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Jul | 95 | 67 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 964 |
| Aug | 94 | 66 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Sep | 89 | 59 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Oct | 81 | 48 | 0.8 | 28% | 1 | 443 |
| Nov | 70 | 35 | 0.4 | 100% | 13 | 127 |
| Dec | 60 | 29 | 0.5 | 100% | 24 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tornillo 2 SSE, TX (3,525 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, El Paso International Airport, TX, 26 miles northwest of Fabens and 393 feet higher, has a last frost 19 days earlier (March 2), a first frost 14 days later (November 20), a season 34 days longer.
When it snows in Fabens, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Tornillo 2 SSE, TX, 8.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 79838
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 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 79838 is 8 miles from Tornillo 2 SSE, TX, which stands at 3,525 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 79849 (San Elizario). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79838 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.