U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00411138 · Texas

Frost Dates for Brownwood, TX

NOAA weather station Brownwood 2 ENE (USC00411138), Texas · elevation 1394 ft (425 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 9only 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 zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Brownwood, TXSpring: a frost after March 3 in 9 years out of 10, after March 22 in half of the years, after April 9 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 Brownwood, TXSpring: a frost after March 3 in 9 years out of 10, after March 22 in half of the years, after April 9 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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 9October 28
50% (typical)March 22November 10
90% (likely)March 3November 28
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
233 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 7
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 21

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 Brownwood: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 9, 20% April 4, 30% March 31, 40% March 27, 50% March 22, 60% March 17, 70% March 13, 80% March 9, 90% March 3. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 February 20, 2022 March 13, 2023 February 18, 2024 February 19, 2025 February 23, 2026 March 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 9Mar 22Mar 32021: February 202022: March 132023: February 182024: February 192025: February 232026: March 19Fall at Brownwood: 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 7, 50% November 10, 60% November 13, 70% November 16, 80% November 20, 90% November 28. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 December 7, 2022 December 23, 2023 December 26, 2024 December 11, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Jan 1Oct 28Nov 10Nov 282021: December 72022: December 232023: December 262024: 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
2021February 20December 7
2022March 13December 23
2023February 18December 26
2024February 19December 11
2025February 23November 10
2026March 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on March 3 in Brownwood carries a 90 % chance that a light frost will arrive later that season, making it a gamble for growers. The cautious spring date is April 9, when only a 10 % chance of a later frost remains, providing a lower-risk window for planting delicate varieties.

The 50% date is March 22, a point at which there is a 50 % chance of a light frost later than this date, and the 50% date is November 10, a point at which there is a 50 % chance of a light frost earlier than this date. For a prudent schedule, the cautious fall date is October 28, with just a 10 % chance that a frost has already arrived. Hard frost at 28 °F, with median dates of March 7 and November 21, matters more than a light frost because it can damage or kill plant tissue that survives the milder 32 °F condition.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 9" 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 Brownwood, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Putnam, TX — 46 mi; 2 — Brady, TX — 47 mi; 3 — Ballinger, TX — 61 mi; 4 — Abilene, TX — 63 mi; 5 — Wingate, TX — 71 mi.TX25 mi · 40 km1. Putnam, TX — 46 mi12. Brady, TX — 47 mi23. Ballinger, TX — 61 mi34. Abilene, TX — 63 mi45. Wingate, TX — 71 mi5
  1. Putnam, TX 46 mi (74 km)
  2. Brady, TX 47 mi (76 km)
  3. Ballinger, TX 61 mi (97 km)
  4. Abilene, TX 63 mi (102 km)
  5. Wingate, TX 71 mi (115 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: 31.7383, -98.9456.