Frost dates Texas Laredo

Frost dates in Laredo, Texas

Last spring frost Jan 25 First fall frost Dec 17 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Laredo is Jan 25 and the average first fall frost is Dec 17, measured at LAREDO 2, about 4 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostJan 2532°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostDec 1732°F, 50% probability
Days between them326average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Dec 25Jan 19
50%Jan 25Dec 17
10%Feb 25Nov 23

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Jan 25, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Feb 25. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Nov 23.

Measured at: LAREDO 2, TX (NOAA station USC00415060), about 4 miles away at 430 ft, 26 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • ENCINAL, TX (NOAA station USC00412906), about 33 miles away at 545 ft, 16 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Feb 21, first fall frost Dec 9
  • ZAPATA 1 S, TX (NOAA station USC00419976), about 47 miles away at 320 ft, 18 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Jan 19, first fall frost Dec 22

Seed-starting schedule for Laredo, TX

Counted from a last frost date of Jan 25 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Oct 1914 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekOct 19 to Nov 2
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionOct 19 to Nov 2
  2. Week of Oct 2613 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyOct 26 to Nov 2
  3. Week of Nov 212 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryNov 2 to Nov 16
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachNov 2 to Nov 16
  4. Week of Nov 1610 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliNov 16 to Nov 30
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutNov 16 to Nov 30
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageNov 16 to Nov 30
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleNov 16 to Nov 30
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiNov 16 to Nov 30
  5. Week of Nov 239 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceNov 23 to Nov 30
  6. Week of Nov 308 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerNov 30 to Dec 14
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantNov 30 to Dec 14
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperNov 30 to Dec 14
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardNov 30 to Dec 14
  7. Week of Dec 77 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoDec 7 to Dec 21
  8. Week of Dec 146 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilDec 14 to Dec 28
    • Set transplants outSpinachDec 14 to Jan 4
  9. Week of Dec 284 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishDec 28 to Jan 11
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Dec 28
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipDec 28 to Jan 11
    • Set transplants outBroccoliDec 28 to Jan 11
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutDec 28 to Jan 11
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Dec 28
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Dec 28
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Dec 28
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Dec 28
    • Set transplants outLettuceDec 28 to Jan 4
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Dec 28
  10. Week of Jan 43 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberJan 4 to Jan 11
    • Set transplants outParsleyJan 4 to Jan 11
  11. Week of Jan 112 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonJan 11 to Jan 18
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinJan 11 to Jan 18
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashJan 11 to Jan 18
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashJan 11 to Jan 18
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniJan 11 to Jan 18
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoJan 11 to Jan 18
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Jan 11
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Jan 11
  12. Week of Jan 25Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Jan 25
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Jan 25
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Jan 25
  13. Week of Feb 11 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoFeb 1 to Feb 8
    • Set transplants outCucumberFeb 1 to Feb 8
    • Set transplants outTomatoFeb 1 to Feb 8
  14. Week of Feb 82 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom Feb 8
    • Set transplants outEggplantFeb 8 to Feb 15
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom Feb 8
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom Feb 8
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom Feb 8
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom Feb 8
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom Feb 8
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom Feb 8

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

More in Texas

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

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