Frost dates for El Paso, Texas
In El Paso, half of springs have had their last frost by March 2 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after March 19), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 20, leaving about 261 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
El Paso, Texas
Last spring frost
March 2
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until March 19: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 20
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 6.
Growing season
261 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 237.
Hardiness zone
8b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 15°F to 20°F. On the 2012 map it was 8a, half a zone colder. All 14 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 8b.
Print a year planner for El Paso
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 | February 12 | March 2 | March 19 |
| First frost in fall | November 6 | November 20 | December 2 |
The frost-free season between them runs 261 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 284 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 237 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on February 16 and first on December 1. 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 18 and first on November 10. 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 El Paso comes between February 12 and March 19, a window of 35 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, 86 percent have their typical last frost later than El Paso does.
Planting calendar for El Paso
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.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 12 to February 2 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 19 to February 2 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 26 to February 9 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 2 to 16 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 2 to 16 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 16 to March 2 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 16 to March 2 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 2 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March 16 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 16 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 25 to July 9 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 13 |
| July | ||
| July 15 to 29 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 2 |
| August | ||
| August 24 | 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 |
| August 28 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 29 | 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 | ||
| September 2 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 3 | 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 7 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 17 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 27 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 7 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 6 | 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 8 to 15 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
| December 15 to January 12 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| December 29 to January 26 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 17 days later. That plans around March 19, 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 El Paso International Airport (station USW00023044), 4 miles from the center of El Paso. It sits at about the same elevation, 3,920 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 Socorro, Horizon City and San Elizario.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 24 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 79901, 79902, 79903, 79904, 79905, 79906, 79907, 79908, 79911, 79915, 79916, 79918, 79920, 79922, 79924, 79925, 79927, 79928, 79930, 79934, 79935, 79936, 79938, 88063. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Las Cruces, New Mexico: last frost around March 12, first frost around November 13 (40 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.