Fort Stockton, TX 79735 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Fort Stockton, TX?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/08, about 192 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/20, about 252 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fort Stockton in Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 12 weeks of growing season left in Fort Stockton 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
03/08 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/03 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Fort Stockton compares
At roughly 252 frost-free days, Fort Stockton places 7,221 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within TX, it ranks 1,566 of 2,558.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Fort Stockton can differ from the 79735 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Fort Stockton's frost date answer different questions.