El Paso, TX 79902 Frost Dates
Frost dates for El Paso, TX, ZIP 79902
Around 03/02 is the usual last spring frost, about 186 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/20, about 261 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts El Paso 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
Zone 8b around El Paso has about 12 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
03/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How El Paso compares
El Paso's growing season runs about 261 days, ranking 6,251 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within TX, it ranks 1,156 of 2,558.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 8b and El Paso's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around El Paso's dates instead of trusting one.