Frost dates · USDA zone 9a
Frost dates for Austin, TX
Austin, TX sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 20 and its first of fall around December 3 — a 291-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Jan 23 | Jan 1 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 20 | Dec 3 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 14 | Nov 15 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 291 days median, at least 258 in 9 years of 10, at least 326 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Feb 1 and first of Dec 27.
Austin planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 20) and median first frost (Dec 3) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Nov 28 | Jan 23 | May 13 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 20 | Mar 22 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 6 | Feb 6 | Mar 23 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 23 | Mar 6 | May 5 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 26 | Feb 27 | May 13 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 12 | Mar 6 | Jun 9 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 26 | Feb 27 | May 13 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 26 | Feb 27 | May 18 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 26 | Feb 27 | May 18 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 6 | Feb 6 | Apr 17 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 9 | Feb 27 | May 8 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 9 | Feb 27 | May 13 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 9 | Feb 27 | May 18 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Austin grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Austin container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Austin frost questions
When is the last frost in Austin, TX?
The median last 32 °F freeze at AUSTIN-CAMP MABRY, TX is February 20: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 14; nine years in ten, it comes after January 23. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Austin, TX?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 3. One year in ten it arrives before November 15; nine years in ten, before January 1 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Austin, TX?
291 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 258 days; one year in ten, at least 326 days.
What growing zone is Austin, TX?
USDA hardiness zone 9a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 78703. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Austin, TX?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 9 and transplant around Feb 27, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 14. First ripe fruit lands around May 13.
When should I plant peppers in Austin, TX?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 26; transplant no earlier than Feb 27, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 13.
Nearby in Texas
- Pflugervillelast frost Mar 11
- Cedar Parklast frost Mar 11
- Round Rocklast frost Mar 11
- Leanderlast frost Mar 2
- Huttolast frost Mar 8
- Kylelast frost Feb 28
All Texas frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →