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 79761
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 79761 in zone 8b (the coldest night of a typical year: 15 to 20°F).
The nearest station, Odessa station, TX, is 2 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after March 15 in half of years and after April 9 in one year in ten.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odessa station, TX | 2 mi | 2,910 ft | March 15 | April 9 | November 16 | – |
| Odessa, TXOdessa Schlemeyer Field | 5 mi | 3,001 ft | March 19 | April 8 | November 11 | 8b |
| Midland, TXMidland International Airport | 11 mi | 2,868 ft | March 18 | April 8 | November 14 | 8a |
| Crane (10 mi N), TX | 13 mi | 2,927 ft | March 15 | April 2 | November 12 | – |
| Penwell, TX | 16 mi | 2,933 ft | March 14 | April 6 | November 14 | – |
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 Odessa station
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 24 | April 10 | April 2 | March 10 | November 6 | October 23 |
| 32°F | April 9 | March 27 | March 15 | February 25 | November 16 | November 1 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | March 27 | March 11 | March 3 | February 9 | November 26 | November 7 |
| 24°F | March 10 | February 26 | February 14 | January 16 | December 8 | November 18 |
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.