McAllen, TX 78504 Frost Dates
When can you plant in McAllen, TX?
Around 01/08 is the usual last spring frost, about 133 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 01/02, about 365 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts McAllen in Zone 10a (30 to 35°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 18 weeks of growing season left in McAllen before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
01/08 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 12/17 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How McAllen compares
At roughly 365 frost-free days, McAllen places 400 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within TX, it ranks 9 of 2,558.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around McAllen's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in McAllen can differ from the 78504 normal.