Frost dates for College Station, TX
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
February 27
typical year
Safe to plant
March 18
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 30
typical year
Growing season
278 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | – |
| Spinach | – | Jan 16 – Feb 6 | Oct 5 – 19 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 30 – Feb 20 | Oct 5 – 19 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 30 – Mar 13 | Oct 19 – Nov 2 |
| Onions | – | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 6 – 20 | – |
| Carrots | – | Feb 6 – 27 | Sep 7 – 21 |
| Beets | – | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Sep 21 – Oct 5 |
| Kale | Dec 19 – Jan 2 | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Sep 21 – Oct 5 |
| Broccoli | Dec 19 – Jan 2 | Feb 13 – 27 | Sep 21 – Oct 5 |
| Cabbage | Dec 5 – 19 | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Sep 21 – Oct 5 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 19 – Nov 9 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 14 – 28 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 18 – Apr 8 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 18 – Apr 8 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 18 – Sep 21 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | – |
| Basil | Feb 11 – 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | March 18 | February 27 | January 31 |
| Fall frost before | November 10 | November 30 | December 26 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around February 7 (March 9 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 18.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 5 towns.
College Station, Bryan, Snook, Kurten, Wixon Valley
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station COLLEGE STN, TX US (USW00003904), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 12 zip codes, all within 18 miles:
77801, 77802, 77803, 77807, 77808, 77840, 77843, 77845, 77861, 77866, 77867, 77878
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.