USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 79934 — El Paso, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from El Paso International Airport, TX (3,918 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In El Paso, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by March 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 261 days (NOAA, El Paso International Airport, TX).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 261 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 El Paso International Airport, TX see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by February 12, and one in ten still has one after March 19. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 13 20%, and after March 19 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 20 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 7, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 261 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 284 days one year in ten and falls short of 237 one year in ten. On average 42 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 16 days longer, to about March 18, and return around November 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 97% of winters and 16°F in 19%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 32°F | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 28°F | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 |
| 20°F61% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 13 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 |
| 20°F61% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at El Paso International Airport, 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 79934 →Compare El Paso with another place →
Weather by month in El Paso
July is the warmest month at El Paso International Airport, TX, averaging 96°F by day and 73°F at night; December is the coldest at 58°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,347 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (2,723) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,066. Precipitation totals 8.7 inches a year, most in August (1.7") and least in March (0.2"); May to September bring 68% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 35 | 0.4 | 100% | 15 | 35 |
| Feb | 64 | 39 | 0.4 | 96% | 7 | 100 |
| Mar | 72 | 46 | 0.2 | 53% | 2 | 284 |
| Apr | 80 | 53 | 0.2 | 2% | 0 | 501 |
| May | 89 | 62 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 788 |
| Jun | 97 | 71 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 1015 |
| Jul | 96 | 73 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 1066 |
| Aug | 94 | 72 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 1020 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Oct | 79 | 54 | 0.6 | 4% | <1 | 521 |
| Nov | 67 | 42 | 0.4 | 85% | 5 | 174 |
| Dec | 58 | 34 | 0.6 | 100% | 14 | 38 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at El Paso International Airport, TX (3,918 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, 10 miles west of El Paso, has a last frost 2 days earlier (February 28), the same first-frost date, a season 3 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, 10.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 79934
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 79934 is 10 miles from El Paso International Airport, TX, which stands at 3,918 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 19 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 79936 (El Paso). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 79934 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.