Balmorhea, TX 79780 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Balmorhea, TX?
Around 03/18 is the usual last spring frost, about 202 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/10, about 239 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Balmorhea in Zone 8a (10 to 15°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 11 weeks of growing season left in Balmorhea 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
03/18 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/28 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Balmorhea compares
Balmorhea's growing season runs about 239 days, ranking 8,881 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within TX, it ranks 1,969 of 2,558.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Balmorhea can differ from the 79780 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Balmorhea's frost date answer different questions.