Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 78617
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 78617 in zone 9a (the coldest night of a typical year: 20 to 25°F).
The nearest station, Austin Bergstrom Airport, TX, is 5 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after March 12 in half of years and after April 2 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 8b.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Bergstrom Airport, TX | 5 mi | 480 ft | March 12 | April 2 | November 16 | 8b |
| Austin (6 mi S), TX | 9 mi | 570 ft | March 10 | March 31 | November 17 | – |
| Cedar Creek, TX5 mi S | 12 mi | 436 ft | March 14 | April 3 | November 19 | – |
| Austin, TXAustin-Camp Mabry | 15 mi | 670 ft | February 20 | March 14 | December 3 | 9a |
| Elgin, TX1 mi N | 20 mi | 594 ft | March 4 | March 23 | November 24 | 9a |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at Austin Bergstrom Airport
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | April 16 | April 4 | March 27 | March 4 | November 7 | October 25 |
| 32°F | April 2 | March 21 | March 12 | February 20 | November 16 | November 1 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | March 19 | March 7 | February 27 | January 28 | December 1 | November 10 |
| 24°F | March 8 | February 22 | February 5 | January 3 | December 17 | November 23 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.