U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00412404 · Texas

Frost Dates for Denton, TX

NOAA weather station Denton 2 SE (USC00412404), Texas · elevation 630 ft (192 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter March 31only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 1350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season251 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Denton, TXSpring: a frost after February 24 in 9 years out of 10, after March 13 in half of the years, after March 31 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 3 in 1 year out of 10, before November 20 in half of the years, before December 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 251 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 13First frost ~Nov 20Frost season at Denton, TXSpring: a frost after February 24 in 9 years out of 10, after March 13 in half of the years, after March 31 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 3 in 1 year out of 10, before November 20 in half of the years, before December 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 251 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 13First 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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)March 31November 3
50% (typical)March 13November 20
90% (likely)February 24December 8
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
251 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 1
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
December 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 10 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 21 (1 day later). Frost-free season 257 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 Denton: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% March 31, 20% March 26, 30% March 21, 40% March 17, 50% March 13, 60% March 10, 70% March 5, 80% March 1, 90% February 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 February 21, 2022 March 13, 2023 March 21, 2024 February 19, 2025 February 23.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Mar 31Mar 13Feb 242021: February 212022: March 132023: March 212024: February 192025: February 23Fall at Denton: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% November 3, 20% November 8, 30% November 12, 40% November 16, 50% November 20, 60% November 23, 70% November 29, 80% December 2, 90% December 8. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 December 7, 2022 November 13, 2023 November 27, 2024 December 6, 2025 November 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Nov 3Nov 20Dec 82021: December 72022: November 132023: November 272024: December 62025: November 30
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 21December 7
2022March 13November 13
2023March 21November 27
2024February 19December 6
2025February 23November 30
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The 251 days between the 50% dates in Denton, March 13 and November 20, frame the span in which a light frost is equally likely to have happened or not. These median dates are not frost dates themselves but mark the midpoint of the historical frost probability record for this station.

For a cautious planting schedule, the spring light-frost cautious date is March 31, which carries only a 10 % chance of a frost later, while the fall cautious date is November 3, which carries only a 10 % chance of a frost earlier. Planting or finishing tender crops after those dates reduces the risk, whereas the earlier spring date of February 24 or the later fall date of December 8 involve a 90 % chance and are considered gambles.

Hard frosts at 28 °F are more damaging than light frosts at 32 °F, making the median hard-frost dates of March 1 and December 1 especially significant for gardeners.

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 3" 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 Denton, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth Airport), TX — 21 mi; 2 — Dallas (Love Field), TX — 28 mi; 3 — near Fort Worth, TX — 30 mi; 4 — Gainesville, TX — 31 mi; 5 — Sherman, TX — 44 mi.OK25 mi · 40 km1. Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth Airport), TX — 21 mi12. Dallas (Love Field), TX — 28 mi23. near Fort Worth, TX — 30 mi34. Gainesville, TX — 31 mi45. Sherman, TX — 44 mi5
  1. Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth Airport), TX 21 mi (34 km)
  2. Dallas (Love Field), TX 28 mi (45 km)
  3. near Fort Worth, TX 30 mi (49 km)
  4. Gainesville, TX 31 mi (50 km)
  5. Sherman, TX 44 mi (71 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: 33.1992, -97.105.