U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00411128 · Texas

Frost Dates near Brownfield, TX

NOAA weather station Brownfield #2 (USC00411128), Texas · elevation 3300 ft (1006 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

Brownfield is the nearest town to the station (0.7 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 20only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season215 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Brownfield, TXSpring: a frost after March 16 in 9 years out of 10, after April 3 in half of the years, after April 20 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 22 in 1 year out of 10, before November 4 in half of the years, before November 17 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 215 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 3First frost ~Nov 4Frost season near Brownfield, TXSpring: a frost after March 16 in 9 years out of 10, after April 3 in half of the years, after April 20 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 22 in 1 year out of 10, before November 4 in half of the years, before November 17 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 215 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 3First frost ~Nov 4
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.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 20October 22
50% (typical)April 3November 4
90% (likely)March 16November 17
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
215 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 20
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 14

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 8 (5 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 2 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 208 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 near Brownfield: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 20, 20% April 14, 30% April 9, 40% April 6, 50% April 3, 60% April 1, 70% March 28, 80% March 22, 90% March 16. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 March 25, 2023 April 7, 2024 March 29, 2025 March 21, 2026 March 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 20Apr 3Mar 162021: April 222022: March 252023: April 72024: March 292025: March 212026: March 18Fall near Brownfield: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 22, 20% October 26, 30% October 30, 40% November 1, 50% November 4, 60% November 6, 70% November 9, 80% November 13, 90% November 17. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 5, 2022 November 12, 2023 October 29, 2024 November 20, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 22Nov 4Nov 172021: November 52022: November 122023: October 292024: November 202025: November 10
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 22November 5
2022March 25November 12
2023April 7October 29
2024March 29November 20
2025March 21November 10
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 20 is the cautious spring date for the Brownfield area, and it marks the point when a gardener can set out tender crops with only a 10 % chance of a light frost later. The median spring date, April 3, represents an even-odds moment for a frost, while planting on March 16 carries a 90 % chance of a frost and therefore is a gamble.

In the fall, October 22 is the cautious date for finishing the harvest of tender crops, offering only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived. The median fall date, November 4, is the even-odds point for a frost, and waiting until November 17 would mean a 90 % chance that a frost has already begun, making late planting risky.

The hard-frost dates are March 20 in spring and November 14 in fall; a hard frost matters more than a light frost because the lower 28 °F temperature can damage plant tissue that survives a 32 °F event.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 20" 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 22" 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 Brownfield, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Levelland, TX — 26 mi; 2 — Plains, TX — 32 mi; 3 — Lamesa, TX — 37 mi; 4 — Lubbock, TX — 41 mi; 5 — Morton, TX — 46 mi.TXNM25 mi · 40 km1. Levelland, TX — 26 mi12. Plains, TX — 32 mi23. Lamesa, TX — 37 mi34. Lubbock, TX — 41 mi45. Morton, TX — 46 mi5
  1. Levelland, TX 26 mi (41 km)
  2. Plains, TX 32 mi (52 km)
  3. Lamesa, TX 37 mi (60 km)
  4. Lubbock, TX 41 mi (67 km)
  5. Morton, TX 46 mi (74 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 33.1908, -102.2681.