Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Houston, TX
Houston, TX sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 2 and its first of fall around December 25 — a 327-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 | Dec 31 (prior winter) | Jan 21 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 2 | Dec 25 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 5 | Nov 27 |
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: 327 days median, at least 285 in 9 years of 10, no freeze at all 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 Jan 23 and first of Jan 5 (next year).
Houston planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 2) and median first frost (Dec 25) 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 10 | Jan 5 | Apr 25 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 2 | Mar 4 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 19 | Jan 19 | Mar 5 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 5 | Feb 16 | Apr 17 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 8 | Feb 9 | Apr 25 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 24 | Feb 16 | May 22 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 8 | Feb 9 | Apr 25 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 8 | Feb 9 | Apr 30 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 8 | Feb 9 | Apr 30 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 19 | Jan 19 | Mar 30 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 22 | Feb 9 | Apr 20 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 22 | Feb 9 | Apr 25 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 22 | Feb 9 | Apr 30 | 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 Houston grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Houston container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Houston frost questions
When is the last frost in Houston, TX?
The median last 32 °F freeze at HOUSTON-PORT, TX is February 2: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 5; nine years in ten, it comes after December 31 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Houston, TX?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 25. One year in ten it arrives before November 27; nine years in ten, before January 21 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Houston, TX?
327 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 285 days; one year in ten, no freeze at all.
What growing zone is Houston, TX?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 77009. 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 Houston, TX?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 22 and transplant around Feb 9, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 5. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 25.
When should I plant peppers in Houston, TX?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 8; transplant no earlier than Feb 9, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 25.
Nearby in Texas
- Pearlandlast frost Jan 31
- Pasadenalast frost Jan 30
- Missouri Citylast frost Feb 15
- Sugar Landlast frost Feb 9
- Friendswoodlast frost Jan 31
- Baytownlast frost Feb 20
All Texas frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →