El Paso, TX 79935 Frost Dates
When can you plant in El Paso, TX?
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.
El Paso sits in USDA Zone 8b (15 to 20°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 12 weeks of growing season left in El Paso 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
03/02 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 6,264 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within TX, it ranks 1,169 of 2,558.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and El Paso's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around El Paso's dates instead of trusting one.