U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00411911 · Texas

Frost Dates for Columbus, TX

NOAA weather station Columbus (USC00411911), Texas · elevation 225 ft (69 m) · hardiness zone 9a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter March 31only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season255 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone9acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Columbus, TXSpring: a frost after February 13 in 9 years out of 10, after March 9 in half of the years, after March 31 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 1 in 1 year out of 10, before November 20 in half of the years, before December 13 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 255 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 9First frost ~Nov 20Frost season at Columbus, TXSpring: a frost after February 13 in 9 years out of 10, after March 9 in half of the years, after March 31 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 1 in 1 year out of 10, before November 20 in half of the years, before December 13 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 255 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 9First frost ~Nov 20
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)March 31November 1
50% (typical)March 9November 20
90% (likely)February 13December 13
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
255 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
February 25
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
December 3

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 1 (8 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 26 (6 days later). Frost-free season 271 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 Columbus: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% March 31, 20% March 23, 30% March 18, 40% March 13, 50% March 9, 60% March 4, 70% February 28, 80% February 23, 90% February 13. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2022 March 13, 2023 February 18, 2024 January 20, 2025 February 20, 2026 March 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Feb 1Mar 1Apr 1Mar 31Mar 9Feb 132022: March 132023: February 182024: January 202025: February 202026: March 18Fall at Columbus: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% November 1, 20% November 5, 30% November 10, 40% November 15, 50% November 20, 60% November 26, 70% December 1, 80% December 5, 90% December 13. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2022 December 23, 2023 December 11, 2024 January 6.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Jan 1Nov 1Nov 20Dec 132022: December 232023: December 112024: January 6
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
2021no dataincomplete record
2022March 13December 23
2023February 18December 11
2024January 20January 6
2025February 20incomplete record
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

November 1 marks the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Columbus, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is March 31, where the risk of a light frost later in the season is low, while February 13 would be a gamble.

The 50% date is March 9, indicating an even chance of a light frost occurring later than this date, and the 50% date is November 20, indicating an even chance of a light frost occurring earlier than this date. Between the two 32 °F 50% dates there are 255 days, representing the median frost-free interval for the 29-year record.

Hard frost at 28 °F, with median dates of February 25 in spring and December 3 in fall, matters more because it can damage or kill plants that would survive a light frost at 32 °F.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after March 31" 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 November 1" 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 Columbus, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Brenham, TX — 34 mi; 2 — Smithville, TX — 41 mi; 3 — Lexington, TX — 56 mi; 4 — College Station, TX — 63 mi; 5 — Luling, TX — 65 mi.TX25 mi · 40 km1. Brenham, TX — 34 mi12. Smithville, TX — 41 mi23. Lexington, TX — 56 mi34. College Station, TX — 63 mi45. Luling, TX — 65 mi5
  1. Brenham, TX 34 mi (54 km)
  2. Smithville, TX 41 mi (67 km)
  3. Lexington, TX 56 mi (89 km)
  4. College Station, TX 63 mi (101 km)
  5. Luling, TX 65 mi (105 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 9a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 29.6989, -96.5731.