Merkel, TX 79536 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Merkel, TX?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/02, roughly 217 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/03, about 215 frost-free days later.
Zone 8a (10 to 15°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Merkel, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Merkel 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
04/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/15 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/20 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Merkel compares
Merkel's growing season runs about 215 days, ranking 14,100 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within TX, it ranks 2,342 of 2,558.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Merkel's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Merkel can differ from the 79536 normal.