Frost Report

All states Texas

Frost dates for Novice, 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

March 29

typical year

Safe to plant

April 17

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

November 7

typical year

Growing season

227 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Mar 1 – 15 –
Spinach – Feb 15 – Mar 8 Sep 12 – 26
Lettuce – Mar 1 – 22 Sep 12 – 26
Radishes – Mar 1 – Apr 12 Sep 26 – Oct 10
Onions – Mar 1 – 15 –
Potatoes – Mar 8 – 22 –
Carrots – Mar 8 – 29 Aug 15 – 29
Beets – Mar 1 – 15 Aug 29 – Sep 12
Kale Jan 18 – Feb 1 Mar 1 – 15 Aug 29 – Sep 12
Broccoli Jan 18 – Feb 1 Mar 15 – 29 Aug 29 – Sep 12
Cabbage Jan 4 – 18 Mar 1 – 15 Aug 29 – Sep 12
Garlic – – Sep 26 – Oct 17
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Feb 20 – Mar 6 Apr 17 – May 1 –
Peppers Feb 13 – 27 Apr 24 – May 8 –
Cucumbers – Apr 17 – May 8 –
Zucchini – Apr 17 – May 15 –
Pumpkins – Apr 17 – May 8 –
Green beans – Apr 17 – Aug 29 –
Sweet corn – Apr 17 – May 15 –
Basil Mar 13 – 27 Apr 24 – May 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 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after April 17March 29March 5
Fall frost before October 26November 7November 25

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 March 12 (April 4 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 16.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.

Novice

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station HORDS CREEK DAM, TX US (USC00414278), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 16 miles:

76882, 76884, 79519, 79538

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.