Frost dates for College Station, Texas
In College Station, half of springs have had their last frost by February 27 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after March 18), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 30, leaving about 278 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
College Station, Texas
Last spring frost
February 27
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until March 18: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 30
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 10.
Growing season
278 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 247.
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 5 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9a.
Print a year planner for College Station
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 31 | February 27 | March 18 |
| First frost in fall | November 10 | November 30 | December 26 |
The frost-free season between them runs 278 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 315 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 247 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 95 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on February 7 and the first on December 18. 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 11 and first on November 17. 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.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in College Station comes between January 31 and March 18, a window of 46 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among Texas's 387 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 91 percent have their typical last frost later than College Station does.
Planting calendar for College Station
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.
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 9 to 30 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 16 to 30 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 23 to February 6 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 30 to February 13 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 30 to February 13 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February | ||
| February 13 to 27 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 13 to 27 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 27 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March | ||
| March 13 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 13 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 5 to 19 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 23 |
| July 25 to August 8 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 12 |
| September | ||
| September 3 | 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 7 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 8 | 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 12 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 13 | 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 17 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 27 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 7 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 17 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 10 | 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 12 to January 9 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| December 26 to January 23 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 19 days later. That plans around March 18, 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 College Station (station USW00003904), 4 miles from the center of College Station. It sits at about the same elevation, 310 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 Bryan.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 12 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 77801, 77802, 77803, 77807, 77808, 77840, 77843, 77845, 77861, 77866, 77867, 77878. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Conroe, Texas: last frost around March 11, first frost around November 19 (50 miles away)
- Houston, Texas: frost not every year (75 miles away)
- Sugar Land, Texas: frost not every year (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.