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When to plant in Brownsville, TX

USDA Zone 10a

Brownsville, Texas frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.

With only about -5 frost-free days, Brownsville has a short season — start heat-lovers indoors early, favor quick-maturing varieties, and use row cover to stretch both ends. In zone 10a, frost is a minor factor for Brownsville — most perennials thrive, and annual vegetables can go out early and stay late.

Station · WFO BROWNSVILLE · 10.2 km
Last spring frost
January 9
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
January 4
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
-5 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for BrownsvilleA year-band from January to December for Brownsville: Brownsville is effectively frost-free at 32°F — no distinct frost season.
Brownsville is effectively frost-free at 32°F — no distinct frost season.

Frost probability

WFO BROWNSVILLE · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Brownsville’s own odds, recorded at WFO BROWNSVILLE.

Frost-probability curves for BrownsvilleProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around January 9 and the first fall frost around January 4, where a 32°F freeze is rare enough that there is effectively no distinct frost season.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FMar 7Jan 25Dec 16Nov 30Dec 30Feb 7
32°FMar 1Jan 9Dec 12Dec 9Jan 4Feb 18

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19

Nothing new to sow or transplant outdoors in the next few weeks — a seasonal lull. Check the full-year calendar below for the next window.

Add the next planting windows to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Brownsville, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 21 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

WFO BROWNSVILLE
Primary
10 km · 5 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 9
FALL
Jan 4
BROWNSVILLE
10 km · 7 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 6
FALL
Jan 2
PORT ISABEL
21 km · 5 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 3
FALL
Jan 1

Brownsville planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Brownsville, TX?

On average, the last spring frost in Brownsville is around January 9 (50% probability at 32°F, from 1991–2020 NOAA normals). Wait until after this date to set out tender plants like tomatoes and peppers.

When is the first fall frost in Brownsville, TX?

Expect Brownsville's first fall frost near January 4 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Brownsville in?

Brownsville is in USDA hardiness zone 10a. In zone 10a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Brownsville?

Brownsville has about -5 frost-free days — a short growing season — between the average last spring frost (January 9) and first fall frost (January 4).

When should I plant tomatoes in Brownsville?

For Brownsville, sow tomatoes indoors about November 14–November 28 and move the seedlings out around January 16, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Brownsville

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Brownsville’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at WFO BROWNSVILLE, 10 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Brownsville, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 10a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00419649. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/texas/brownsville.