U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00411000 · Texas

Frost Dates for Boys Ranch, TX

NOAA weather station Boys Ranch (USC00411000), Texas · elevation 3191 ft (973 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 2only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season183 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Boys Ranch, TXSpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 10 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 183 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 23Frost season at Boys Ranch, TXSpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 10 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 183 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 23
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.Today

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 2October 10
50% (typical)April 19October 23
90% (likely)April 4November 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
183 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 8
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 21 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 21 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 181 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Boys Ranch: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 2, 20% April 28, 30% April 25, 40% April 22, 50% April 19, 60% April 16, 70% April 13, 80% April 10, 90% April 4. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 21, 2022 April 17, 2023 April 16, 2024 March 28, 2025 April 7, 2026 April 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 2Apr 19Apr 42021: April 212022: April 172023: April 162024: March 282025: April 72026: April 19Fall at Boys Ranch: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 10, 20% October 14, 30% October 17, 40% October 20, 50% October 23, 60% October 24, 70% October 26, 80% October 29, 90% November 2. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 16, 2022 November 4, 2023 October 14, 2024 October 31, 2025 October 29.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 10Oct 23Nov 22021: October 162022: November 42023: October 142024: October 312025: October 29
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 21October 16
2022April 17November 4
2023April 16October 14
2024March 28October 31
2025April 7October 29
2026April 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 2 is the cautious spring date for light frost, meaning there is only a 10 % chance of frost later than that day and it allows a gardener to set out tender crops with confidence. The median 32 °F date, April 19, represents a 50 % chance of a frost later than the date, while the 50 % fall date, October 23, marks an even odds of a frost earlier than the date; these points help gauge the middle of the frost window. For a careful plan the fall cautious date is October 10, when the chance of a frost earlier than the date is only 10 % and finishing tender-crop harvests can be timed. The 28 °F hard-frost median dates are April 8 in spring and November 1 in fall, and a hard frost can injure plants that would otherwise survive a light frost.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 2" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 10" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Boys Ranch, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Amarillo, TX — 37 mi; 2 — Dalhart, TX — 37 mi; 3 — Hereford, TX — 50 mi; 4 — Amistad, NM — 57 mi; 5 — Stratford, TX — 64 mi.TXNMOK50 mi · 80 km1. Amarillo, TX — 37 mi12. Dalhart, TX — 37 mi23. Hereford, TX — 50 mi34. Amistad, NM — 57 mi45. Stratford, TX — 64 mi5
  1. Amarillo, TX 37 mi (60 km)
  2. Dalhart, TX 37 mi (60 km)
  3. Hereford, TX 50 mi (80 km)
  4. Amistad, NM 57 mi (92 km)
  5. Stratford, TX 64 mi (103 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 35.5303, -102.2564.