Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Odessa, TX
Odessa, TX sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 15 and its first of fall around November 16 — a 243-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 | Feb 25 | Dec 1 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 15 | Nov 16 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 9 | Nov 1 |
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: 243 days median, at least 216 in 9 years of 10, at least 268 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 Mar 3 and first of Nov 26.
Odessa planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 15) and median first frost (Nov 16) 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) | Dec 21 | Feb 15 | Jun 5 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 15 | Apr 14 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 1 | Mar 1 | Apr 15 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 15 | Mar 29 | May 28 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 18 | Mar 22 | Jun 5 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 4 | Mar 29 | Jul 2 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 18 | Mar 22 | Jun 5 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 18 | Mar 22 | Jun 10 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 18 | Mar 22 | Jun 10 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 1 | Mar 1 | May 10 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 1 | Mar 22 | May 31 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 1 | Mar 22 | Jun 5 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 1 | Mar 22 | Jun 10 | 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 Odessa grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Odessa container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Odessa frost questions
When is the last frost in Odessa, TX?
The median last 32 °F freeze at ODESSA, TX is March 15: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 9; nine years in ten, it comes after February 25. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Odessa, TX?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 16. One year in ten it arrives before November 1; nine years in ten, before December 1.
How long is the growing season in Odessa, TX?
243 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 216 days; one year in ten, at least 268 days.
What growing zone is Odessa, TX?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 79761. 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 Odessa, TX?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 1 and transplant around Mar 22, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 9. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 5.
When should I plant peppers in Odessa, TX?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 18; transplant no earlier than Mar 22, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 5.
Nearby in Texas
- Midlandlast frost Mar 26
- San Angelolast frost Mar 20
- Lubbocklast frost Apr 4
- Abilenelast frost Mar 20
- Amarillolast frost Apr 13
- El Pasolast frost Mar 2
All Texas frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →