U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00410493 · Texas

Frost Dates for Ballinger, TX

NOAA weather station Ballinger 2 NW (USC00410493), Texas · elevation 1755 ft (535 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 12only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season233 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Ballinger, TXSpring: a frost after March 2 in 9 years out of 10, after March 22 in half of the years, after April 12 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 28 in 1 year out of 10, before November 10 in half of the years, before November 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 233 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 22First frost ~Nov 10Frost season at Ballinger, TXSpring: a frost after March 2 in 9 years out of 10, after March 22 in half of the years, after April 12 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 28 in 1 year out of 10, before November 10 in half of the years, before November 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 233 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 22First frost ~Nov 10
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 12October 28
50% (typical)March 22November 10
90% (likely)March 2November 28
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
233 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 8
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 22

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 18 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 10. Frost-free season 238 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 Ballinger: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 12, 20% April 5, 30% March 31, 40% March 26, 50% March 22, 60% March 17, 70% March 13, 80% March 8, 90% March 2. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 March 3, 2022 March 13, 2023 March 19, 2024 March 10, 2025 April 7, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 12Mar 22Mar 22021: March 32022: March 132023: March 192024: March 102025: April 72026: March 17Fall at Ballinger: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 28, 20% November 1, 30% November 4, 40% November 6, 50% November 10, 60% November 13, 70% November 16, 80% November 22, 90% November 28. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 December 7, 2022 November 12, 2023 October 31, 2024 December 11, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 28Nov 10Nov 282021: December 72022: November 122023: October 312024: December 112025: 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
2021March 3December 7
2022March 13November 12
2023March 19October 31
2024March 10December 11
2025April 7November 10
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 12 marks the cautious spring light-frost date for Ballinger; with only a 10 % chance of a frost after that date, gardeners can plan to set out tender crops with relatively low risk.

The median light-frost dates are March 22 in spring and November 10 in fall, each representing a 50 % chance of a frost later (spring) or earlier (fall) than the date. For hard frost, the 50 % dates are March 8 and November 22, indicating an even chance of a hard frost later in spring or earlier in fall. The cautious fall light-frost date is October 28, when there is only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier, allowing the finishing of tender-crop harvests.

A hard frost at 28 °F is more damaging than a light frost at 32 °F because the lower temperature can injure plant tissue that survives milder frosts.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 12" 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 28" 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 Ballinger, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Wingate, TX — 22 mi; 2 — San Angelo, TX — 40 mi; 3 — Water Valley, TX — 44 mi; 4 — Abilene, TX — 49 mi; 5 — Brady, TX — 55 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Wingate, TX — 22 mi12. San Angelo, TX — 40 mi23. Water Valley, TX — 44 mi34. Abilene, TX — 49 mi45. Brady, TX — 55 mi5
  1. Wingate, TX 22 mi (36 km)
  2. San Angelo, TX 40 mi (64 km)
  3. Water Valley, TX 44 mi (72 km)
  4. Abilene, TX 49 mi (79 km)
  5. Brady, TX 55 mi (89 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 31.7414, -99.9764.