Frost dates for Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont 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 14 and half their first by December 4.
Frost dates for
Beaumont, Texas
Last spring frost
February 14
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 11.
First fall frost
December 4
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by November 13.
Growing season
299 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 261.
Hardiness zone
9b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 25°F to 30°F. On the 2012 map it was 9a, half a zone colder. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 3 in 9a and 3 in 9b.
Print a year planner for Beaumont
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 17 | February 14 | March 11 |
| First frost in fall | November 13 | December 4 | January 7 |
The frost-free season between them runs 299 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 336 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 261 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 86 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on January 28 and the first on December 28. 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 1 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 Beaumont
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.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 3 to 17 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 10 to 24 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 17 to 31 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 17 to 31 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 31 to February 14 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 31 to February 14 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February | ||
| February 14 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| February 28 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| February 28 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 9 to 23 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 27 |
| July 29 to August 12 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 16 |
| September | ||
| September 7 | 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 11 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 12 | 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 16 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 17 | 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 21 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 1 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 11 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 21 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 13 | 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 |
| November 29 to December 27 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| December | ||
| December 13 to January 10 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December 27 to January 17 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 25 days later. That plans around March 11, 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 Beaumont City (station USC00410611), 3 miles from the center of Beaumont. It sits at about the same elevation, 20 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 7 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 77662, 77701, 77702, 77703, 77706, 77707, 77708. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Houston, Texas: frost not every year (75 miles away)
- Pearland, Texas: frost not every year (80 miles away)
- Conroe, Texas: last frost around March 11, first frost around November 19 (80 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.