U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00412585 · Texas

Frost Dates for Dripping Springs, TX

NOAA weather station Dripping Springs 6 E (USC00412585), Texas · elevation 1084 ft (330 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 7only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 1750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season242 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Dripping Springs, TXSpring: a frost after February 26 in 9 years out of 10, after March 17 in half of the years, after April 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 29 in 1 year out of 10, before November 13 in half of the years, before December 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 242 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 17First frost ~Nov 13Frost season at Dripping Springs, TXSpring: a frost after February 26 in 9 years out of 10, after March 17 in half of the years, after April 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 29 in 1 year out of 10, before November 13 in half of the years, before December 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 242 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 17First frost ~Nov 13
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 7October 29
50% (typical)March 17November 13
90% (likely)February 26December 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
242 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 4
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 15 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 12 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 242 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 Dripping Springs: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 7, 20% April 2, 30% March 27, 40% March 21, 50% March 17, 60% March 13, 70% March 8, 80% March 3, 90% February 26. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 February 20, 2022 March 13, 2023 February 18, 2024 February 18, 2025 April 7, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 7Mar 17Feb 262021: February 202022: March 132023: February 182024: February 182025: April 72026: March 17Fall at Dripping Springs: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 29, 20% November 2, 30% November 6, 40% November 10, 50% November 13, 60% November 17, 70% November 22, 80% November 28, 90% December 4. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 December 12, 2022 November 13, 2023 November 1, 2024 November 21, 2025 December 2.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 29Nov 13Dec 42021: December 122022: November 132023: November 12024: November 212025: December 2
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 12
2022March 13November 13
2023February 18November 1
2024February 18November 21
2025April 7December 2
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 7 is the cautious spring date for light frost in Dripping Springs; on that day there is only a 10 % chance of a frost later, so a gardener can plan to set out tender crops with minimal risk.

Both the March 17 spring 50 % date and the November 13 fall 50 % date mark the points where a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not, giving a clear sense of the median frost window. The hard-frost median dates are March 4 in spring and November 26 in fall, and a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F.

October 29 is the cautious fall date for light frost, with only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier, allowing a gardener to schedule the final harvest of tender crops before risk rises.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 7" 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 29" 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 Dripping Springs, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — San Marcos, TX — 23 mi; 2 — Blanco, TX — 27 mi; 3 — near Canyon Lake, TX — 28 mi; 4 — Elgin, TX — 38 mi; 5 — Luling, TX — 42 mi.TX25 mi · 40 km1. San Marcos, TX — 23 mi12. Blanco, TX — 27 mi23. near Canyon Lake, TX — 28 mi34. Elgin, TX — 38 mi45. Luling, TX — 42 mi5
  1. San Marcos, TX 23 mi (38 km)
  2. Blanco, TX 27 mi (43 km)
  3. near Canyon Lake, TX 28 mi (45 km)
  4. Elgin, TX 38 mi (61 km)
  5. Luling, TX 42 mi (68 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: 30.2194, -97.9878.