Frost Report

All states Texas

Frost dates for Vernon, 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 27

typical year

Safe to plant

April 15

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

November 9

typical year

Growing season

225 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 – Feb 27 – Mar 13 –
Spinach – Feb 13 – Mar 6 Sep 14 – 28
Lettuce – Feb 27 – Mar 20 Sep 14 – 28
Radishes – Feb 27 – Apr 10 Sep 28 – Oct 12
Onions – Feb 27 – Mar 13 –
Potatoes – Mar 6 – 20 –
Carrots – Mar 6 – 27 Aug 17 – 31
Beets – Feb 27 – Mar 13 Aug 31 – Sep 14
Kale Jan 16 – 30 Feb 27 – Mar 13 Aug 31 – Sep 14
Broccoli Jan 16 – 30 Mar 13 – 27 Aug 31 – Sep 14
Cabbage Jan 2 – 16 Feb 27 – Mar 13 Aug 31 – Sep 14
Garlic – – Sep 28 – Oct 19
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Feb 18 – Mar 4 Apr 15 – 29 –
Peppers Feb 11 – 25 Apr 22 – May 6 –
Cucumbers – Apr 15 – May 6 –
Zucchini – Apr 15 – May 13 –
Pumpkins – Apr 15 – May 6 –
Green beans – Apr 15 – Aug 31 –
Sweet corn – Apr 15 – May 13 –
Basil Mar 11 – 25 Apr 22 – 29 –

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 15March 27March 5
Fall frost before October 24November 9November 24

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 9 (March 31 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 18.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 2 towns.

Vernon, Chillicothe

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station VERNON, TX US (USC00419346), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 3 zip codes, all within 12 miles:

76373, 76384, 79225

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