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 79602
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 79602 in zone 8a (the coldest night of a typical year: 10 to 15°F).
The nearest station, Abilene, TX, is 5 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after March 20 in half of years and after April 10 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 8a.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TXAbilene Regional Airport | 5 mi | 1,790 ft | March 20 | April 10 | November 10 | 8a |
| Abilene (6 mi ESE), TX | 7 mi | 1,802 ft | April 1 | April 19 | November 5 | – |
| Merkel (12 mi SW), TX | 27 mi | 2,249 ft | April 2 | April 20 | November 3 | – |
| Putnam, TX | 28 mi | 1,621 ft | March 27 | April 16 | November 7 | 8a |
| Anson, TX | 32 mi | 1,717 ft | March 31 | April 15 | November 6 | – |
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 Abilene
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 22 | April 11 | April 3 | March 17 | November 1 | October 19 |
| 32°F | April 10 | March 29 | March 20 | March 1 | November 10 | October 28 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | March 28 | March 13 | March 6 | February 18 | November 23 | November 6 |
| 24°F | March 13 | March 2 | February 24 | January 28 | December 5 | November 17 |
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.