Sanford, TX 79078 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Sanford, TX, ZIP 79078
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/20, roughly 235 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/25, about 187 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Sanford in Zone 7a (0 to 5°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
Zone 7a around Sanford has about 8 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/04 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Sanford compares
Sanford's growing season runs about 187 days, ranking 22,626 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within TX, it ranks 2,512 of 2,558.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Sanford can differ from the 79078 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7a and Sanford's frost date answer different questions.