USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 79932 — El Paso, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Santa Teresa Airport, NM (4,109 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In El Paso, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 23 in half of years and has passed by April 9 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 231 days (NOAA, Santa Teresa Airport, NM).
- Last spring frost
- March 23
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 231 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in El Paso
Half of springs at Santa Teresa Airport, NM see their last 32°F night by March 23; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 9 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 November 11 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, shorter than at 74% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 256 days one year in ten and falls short of 209 one year in ten. On average 65 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 14 days longer, to about April 6, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 61%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 19 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F61% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 9 |
| 16°F61% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 18 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Santa Teresa Airport, NM, 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 79932 →Compare El Paso with another place →
Weather by month in El Paso
July is the warmest month at Santa Teresa Airport, NM, averaging 95°F by day and 69°F at night; December is the coldest at 57°F and 30°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 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,454 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 351 Texas stations. 40% of them (2,206) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 983. Precipitation totals 10.2 inches a year, most in July (2.3") and least in April (0.2"); May to September bring 66% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 30 | 0.5 | 100% | 21 | 12 |
| Feb | 63 | 33 | 0.5 | 100% | 12 | 48 |
| Mar | 71 | 39 | 0.3 | 91% | 4 | 192 |
| Apr | 79 | 47 | 0.2 | 28% | <1 | 380 |
| May | 87 | 56 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 660 |
| Jun | 96 | 65 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Jul | 95 | 69 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 983 |
| Aug | 93 | 68 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Sep | 88 | 62 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Oct | 79 | 50 | 0.8 | 16% | 1 | 445 |
| Nov | 66 | 37 | 0.5 | 97% | 8 | 116 |
| Dec | 57 | 30 | 0.7 | 100% | 20 | 15 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Santa Teresa Airport, NM (4,109 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, La Tuna 1 S, TX, 8 miles north of El Paso and 239 feet lower, has a last frost 23 days earlier (February 28), a first frost 9 days later (November 20), a season 33 days longer.
When it snows in El Paso, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at La Tuna 1 S, TX, 8.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 79932
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 12 – January 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 26 – February 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 23 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 79932 is 6 miles from Santa Teresa Airport, NM, which stands at 4,109 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 79912 (El Paso). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79932 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.