U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00419565 · Texas

Frost Dates for Wellington, TX

NOAA weather station Wellington (USC00419565), Texas · elevation 2040 ft (622 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 21only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 150% 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 zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Wellington, TXSpring: a frost after March 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 1 in half of the years, after April 21 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 1First frost ~Nov 4Frost season at Wellington, TXSpring: a frost after March 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 1 in half of the years, after April 21 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 1First 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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 21October 22
50% (typical)April 1November 4
90% (likely)March 14November 17
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
215 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 19
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 12

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 31 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 5 (1 day later). Frost-free season 219 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 Wellington: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 21, 20% April 13, 30% April 8, 40% April 5, 50% April 1, 60% March 30, 70% March 25, 80% March 21, 90% March 14.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1May 1Apr 21Apr 1Mar 14Fall at Wellington: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 22, 20% October 27, 30% October 30, 40% November 1, 50% November 4, 60% November 7, 70% November 10, 80% November 13, 90% November 17.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 22Nov 4Nov 17
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.

What these dates mean

April 21 is the cautious spring date, giving Wellington gardeners a 10 % chance of a later light frost and allowing them to set out tender crops. The 50% dates—April 1 in spring and November 4 in fall—represent the median point where a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not, so they serve as a neutral reference for timing decisions. Hard-frost median dates are March 19 and November 12; a hard frost can kill plants that would otherwise survive a light frost, making it a more critical threshold. October 22 is the cautious fall date, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived, enabling gardeners to finish harvesting tender crops. The span between April 1 and November 4 is 215 days, marking the median frost-free period for the site. The probabilities are based on a 26-year record from the NOAA 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 21" 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 Wellington, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Memphis, TX — 20 mi; 2 — near Shamrock, TX — 26 mi; 3 — Childress, TX — 29 mi; 4 — Turkey, TX — 50 mi; 5 — near Pampa, TX — 65 mi.TXOK25 mi · 40 km1. Memphis, TX — 20 mi12. near Shamrock, TX — 26 mi23. Childress, TX — 29 mi34. Turkey, TX — 50 mi45. near Pampa, TX — 65 mi5
  1. Memphis, TX 20 mi (33 km)
  2. near Shamrock, TX 26 mi (42 km)
  3. Childress, TX 29 mi (47 km)
  4. Turkey, TX 50 mi (80 km)
  5. near Pampa, TX 65 mi (105 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 34.8422, -100.2103.