U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00417327 · Texas

Frost Dates for Putnam, TX

NOAA weather station Putnam (USC00417327), Texas · elevation 1621 ft (494 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season225 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Putnam, TXSpring: a frost after March 7 in 9 years out of 10, after March 27 in half of the years, after April 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 25 in 1 year out of 10, before November 7 in half of the years, before November 22 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 225 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 27First frost ~Nov 7Frost season at Putnam, TXSpring: a frost after March 7 in 9 years out of 10, after March 27 in half of the years, after April 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 25 in 1 year out of 10, before November 7 in half of the years, before November 22 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 225 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 27First frost ~Nov 7
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 16October 25
50% (typical)March 27November 7
90% (likely)March 7November 22
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
225 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 14
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 16

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 30 (3 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 5 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 222 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 Putnam: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 16, 20% April 7, 30% April 3, 40% March 31, 50% March 27, 60% March 23, 70% March 19, 80% March 13, 90% March 7. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 March 13, 2023 March 20, 2024 March 29, 2025 April 8, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 16Mar 27Mar 72021: April 222022: March 132023: March 202024: March 292025: April 82026: March 17Fall at Putnam: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 25, 20% October 30, 30% November 2, 40% November 4, 50% November 7, 60% November 10, 70% November 13, 80% November 17, 90% November 22. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 19, 2022 November 12, 2023 October 30, 2024 November 21, 2025 October 31.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 25Nov 7Nov 222021: November 192022: November 122023: October 302024: November 212025: October 31
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 19
2022March 13November 12
2023March 20October 30
2024March 29November 21
2025April 8October 31
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on March 7 in Putnam carries a 90% chance that a light frost will occur later that season, making it a gamble for growers.

For a cautious plan, the spring date with only a 10% chance of a later light frost is April 16, while the fall date with only a 10% chance that a light frost has already arrived is October 25. The 50% light-frost dates are March 27 in spring and November 7 in fall; at each of those days a light frost is equally likely to have happened or not. The median hard-frost dates are March 14 and November 16, and a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that would survive a 32 °F light frost, so it matters more.

The interval between the two 32°F 50% dates spans 225 days, based on 29 years of record, giving an indication of the overall frost-free period at this station.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 16" 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 25" 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 Putnam, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Abilene, TX — 29 mi; 2 — Brownwood, TX — 46 mi; 3 — Stamford, TX — 53 mi; 4 — Wingate, TX — 58 mi; 5 — Ballinger, TX — 63 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Abilene, TX — 29 mi12. Brownwood, TX — 46 mi23. Stamford, TX — 53 mi34. Wingate, TX — 58 mi45. Ballinger, TX — 63 mi5
  1. Abilene, TX 29 mi (46 km)
  2. Brownwood, TX 46 mi (74 km)
  3. Stamford, TX 53 mi (86 km)
  4. Wingate, TX 58 mi (93 km)
  5. Ballinger, TX 63 mi (101 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: 32.3664, -99.1925.