U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00416776 · Texas

Frost Dates near Pampa, TX

NOAA weather station Pampa #2 (USC00416776), Texas · elevation 3150 ft (960 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

Pampa is the nearest town to the station (1.5 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 29only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season194 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Pampa, TXSpring: a frost after March 28 in 9 years out of 10, after April 14 in half of the years, after April 29 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 13 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 194 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 14First frost ~Oct 28Frost season near Pampa, TXSpring: a frost after March 28 in 9 years out of 10, after April 14 in half of the years, after April 29 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 13 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 194 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 14First frost ~Oct 28
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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 29October 13
50% (typical)April 14October 28
90% (likely)March 28November 9
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
194 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 4
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 16 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 28. Frost-free season 192 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 Pampa: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 29, 20% April 23, 30% April 20, 40% April 18, 50% April 14, 60% April 11, 70% April 7, 80% April 3, 90% March 28. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 26, 2022 April 18, 2023 April 8, 2024 March 27, 2025 April 6, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 29Apr 14Mar 282021: April 262022: April 182023: April 82024: March 272025: April 62026: March 17Fall near Pampa: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 13, 20% October 19, 30% October 22, 40% October 25, 50% October 28, 60% October 31, 70% November 2, 80% November 5, 90% November 9. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 11, 2022 November 5, 2023 October 29, 2024 November 20, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 13Oct 28Nov 92021: October 112022: November 52023: October 292024: November 202025: October 30
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 26October 11
2022April 18November 5
2023April 8October 29
2024March 27November 20
2025April 6October 30
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on March 28 in the Pampa area is a gamble, as there is a 90 % chance of a light frost occurring later that spring. The cautious alternative is April 29, which carries only a 10 % chance of a later frost and therefore is the recommended date for planting tender varieties.

For a gardener, the 50% date is April 14, the point at which a light frost is equally likely to occur later or not later in spring, and the 50% date is October 28, the point at which a light frost is equally likely to have occurred earlier or not earlier in fall. The cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 13, with only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier.

Hard frost, defined by a 28 °F threshold, can damage plant tissue more severely than a light frost at 32 °F, so the median hard-frost dates of April 4 and November 5 are important reference points.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 29" 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 13" 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 Pampa, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Amarillo, TX — 47 mi; 2 — near Shamrock, TX — 47 mi; 3 — Lipscomb, TX — 61 mi; 4 — Memphis, TX — 62 mi; 5 — Wellington, TX — 65 mi.TXOK50 mi · 80 km1. Amarillo, TX — 47 mi12. near Shamrock, TX — 47 mi23. Lipscomb, TX — 61 mi34. Memphis, TX — 62 mi45. Wellington, TX — 65 mi5
  1. Amarillo, TX 47 mi (76 km)
  2. near Shamrock, TX 47 mi (76 km)
  3. Lipscomb, TX 61 mi (99 km)
  4. Memphis, TX 62 mi (100 km)
  5. Wellington, TX 65 mi (105 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: 35.5544, -100.9736.