Frost dates for Austin, Texas
Austin doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 99 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by February 20 and half their first by December 3.
Frost dates for
Austin, Texas
Last spring frost
February 20
Not every winter has one: about 99 years in 100 have a freezing night here. In those years, half have their last frost by this date, and 1 in 10 still have one after March 14.
First fall frost
December 3
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by November 15.
Growing season
291 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 258.
Hardiness zone
9a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 20°F to 25°F. On the 2012 map it was 8b, half a zone colder. All 19 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9a.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Austin-Camp Mabry (2 miles away, at 670 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of February 20 and a typical first frost of December 3. NOAA's Austin 6 S (5 miles away, at 570 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of March 10 and a typical first frost of November 17. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from February 20 to March 10 and the typical first frost from November 17 to December 3, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Austin
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | January 23 | February 20 | March 14 |
| First frost in fall | November 15 | December 3 | January 1 |
The frost-free season between them runs 291 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 326 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 258 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 88 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on February 1 and the first on December 27. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on March 6 and first on November 22. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
Planting calendar for Austin
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
Frost doesn't come every year here: about 99 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 2 to 23 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 9 to 23 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 16 to 30 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 23 to February 6 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 23 to February 6 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February | ||
| February 6 to 20 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 6 to 20 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 20 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March | ||
| March 6 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 6 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 8 to 22 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 26 |
| July 28 to August 11 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 15 |
| September | ||
| September 6 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 10 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 11 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 15 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 16 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 20 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 30 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 10 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 20 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 15 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| December | ||
| December 5 to January 2 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| December 19 to January 16 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 22 days later. That plans around March 14, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Austin-Camp Mabry (station USW00013958), 2 miles from the center of Austin. It sits at about the same elevation, 670 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Round Rock, Pflugerville, Manor, Lakeway and Lago Vista.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 19 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 78660, 78703, 78705, 78722, 78723, 78726, 78731, 78733, 78735, 78736, 78746, 78749, 78750, 78751, 78752, 78753, 78754, 78756, 78757. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- New Braunfels, Texas: last frost around March 1, first frost around November 26 (45 miles away)
- Killeen, Texas: last frost around March 14, first frost around November 17 (55 miles away)
- San Antonio, Texas: last frost around February 26, first frost around November 28 (75 miles away)
See frost dates across Texas, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.