USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 79843 — Marfa, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marfa 3W, TX (4,790 ft), 11 miles northeast.
Updated
In Marfa, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 14 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 196 days (NOAA, Marfa 3W, TX).
- Last spring frost
- April 14
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 196 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Marfa
Half of springs at Marfa 3W, TX see their last 32°F night by April 14; only one in ten is past it by March 30, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 1 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 27 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 196 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 107 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 26, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 11 and February 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F | Jan 15 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marfa 3W, 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 79843 →Compare Marfa with another place →
Weather by month in Marfa
July is the warmest month at Marfa 3W, TX, averaging 90°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 86% of years and May still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,263 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 97% of the 351 Texas stations. 41% of them (1,769) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 780.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 24 | 100% | 27 | 7 |
| Feb | 63 | 28 | 100% | 20 | 26 |
| Mar | 70 | 34 | 100% | 14 | 124 |
| Apr | 78 | 41 | 86% | 4 | 299 |
| May | 87 | 50 | 11% | <1 | 560 |
| Jun | 92 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Jul | 90 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Aug | 87 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Sep | 83 | 53 | 0% | 0 | 550 |
| Oct | 76 | 43 | 60% | 2 | 316 |
| Nov | 68 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 98 |
| Dec | 59 | 26 | 100% | 25 | 14 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Marfa 3W, TX (4,790 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
When it snows in Marfa, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Candelaria, TX, 28.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 79843
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 3 – February 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 79843 is 11 miles from Marfa 3W, TX, which stands at 4,790 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79843 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.