Austin, Texas: freeze dates & growing season

Three different things get called “Austin” here, so this page is explicit about all three: the metro label (Austin), the anchor geography (Census ZCTA 78701, a downtown ZIP-code area), and the climate record (the NOAA station below). Windows are calculated from the station — not from your street address.

Climate basis: NOAA station Austin 6s, TX (USC00410431), 3 mi (5 km) from the ZCTA 78701 centroid, elevation 570 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals.

Last spring freezeMarch 101-in-10 after Mar 31

First fall freezeNovember 171-in-10 before Nov 1

Frost-free season≈ 252 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Feb 28 – Dec 1kills even hardy greens

USDA zone9a20 to 25°F winter low — not frost timing

The year

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to Mar 31

The Austin year: hatched areas are the freeze-likely seasons in 1991–2020 normals.

What that means in practice

Tomatoes: plant March 17 – March 31
Peas: plant January 27 – February 10
Garlic: plant cloves November 24 – December 1

All 79 crops in Austin

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

Check a specific ZIP instead

Metro climates vary — elevation, water, and urban heat shift freeze dates by days to weeks. Look up your exact ZIP:

Nearby reviewed metros

San Antonio, TX · Houston, TX · Dallas, TX · Oklahoma City, OK · Tulsa, OK