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 79603
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 79603 in zone 8a (the coldest night of a typical year: 10 to 15°F).
The nearest station, Merkel (12 mi SW), TX, is 11 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 2 in half of years and after April 20 in one year in ten.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merkel (12 mi SW), TX | 11 mi | 2,249 ft | April 2 | April 20 | November 3 | – |
| Abilene, TXAbilene Regional Airport | 15 mi | 1,790 ft | March 20 | April 10 | November 10 | 8a |
| Abilene (6 mi ESE), TX | 19 mi | 1,802 ft | April 1 | April 19 | November 5 | – |
| Wingate, TX | 23 mi | 2,012 ft | April 3 | April 20 | November 4 | 8a |
| Bronte (11 mi NNE), TX | 28 mi | 1,997 ft | March 28 | April 14 | November 4 | – |
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 Merkel (12 mi SW)
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 28 | April 20 | April 14 | March 29 | October 27 | October 14 |
| 32°F | April 20 | April 9 | April 2 | March 15 | November 3 | October 21 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 9 | March 30 | March 20 | March 1 | November 14 | October 30 |
| 24°F | March 30 | March 16 | March 9 | February 19 | November 25 | November 7 |
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.