Frost dates for Houston, 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 2
typical year
Safe to plant
March 5
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 25
typical year
Growing season
327 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 5 – 19 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 22 – Jan 12 | Oct 30 – Nov 13 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 5 – 26 | Oct 30 – Nov 13 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 5 – Feb 16 | Nov 13 – 27 |
| Onions | – | Jan 5 – 19 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 12 – 26 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 12 – Feb 2 | Oct 2 – 16 |
| Beets | – | Jan 5 – 19 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Kale | Nov 24 – Dec 8 | Jan 5 – 19 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Broccoli | Nov 24 – Dec 8 | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Cabbage | Nov 10 – 24 | Jan 5 – 19 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 13 – Dec 4 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 8 – 22 | Mar 5 – 19 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 1 – 15 | Mar 12 – 26 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 5 – 26 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 5 – Apr 2 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 5 – 26 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 5 – Oct 16 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 5 – Apr 2 | – |
| Basil | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 12 – 19 | – |
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 5 | February 2 | December 31 |
| Fall frost before | November 27 | December 25 | January 21 |
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 January 23 (February 25 in a late year), and the first one in fall around January 5.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 10 towns.
Houston, Deer Park, Bellaire, West University Place, Galena Park, Jacinto City, Hunters Creek Village, Spring Valley Village, Southside Place, Hilshire Village
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station HOUSTON-PORT, TX US (USC00414326), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 41 zip codes, all within 13 miles:
77002, 77003, 77004, 77005, 77006, 77007, 77008, 77009, 77010, 77011, 77012, 77013, 77015, 77016, 77017, 77018, 77019, 77020, 77021, 77022, 77023, 77026, 77027, 77028, 77029, 77030, 77046, 77049, 77055, 77056, 77057, 77078, 77081, 77098, 77204, 77401, 77503, 77506, 77530, 77536, 77547
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.