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When to plant in Fort Bliss, TX

USDA Zone 8b

Here are the average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and a month-by-month planting calendar for Fort Bliss, Texas — all computed from Fort Bliss's nearest NOAA weather station.

A generous ~263-day season lets Fort Bliss gardeners direct-sow more and still ripen long-maturity crops like melons and winter squash. In zone 8b, Fort Bliss supports a wide range of perennials year-round; the frost dates above are what set your annual vegetable timing.

Station · EL PASO INTL AP · 3.2 km
Last spring frost
March 2
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 20
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
263 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Fort BlissA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Fort Bliss: last spring frost around March 2, first fall frost around November 20, about 263 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Fort Bliss is now 15 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

EL PASO INTL AP · 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 Fort Bliss’s own odds, recorded at EL PASO INTL AP.

Frost-probability curves for Fort BlissProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 2 and the first fall frost around November 20, giving about 263 frost-free days.
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°FApr 5Mar 18Feb 28Oct 28Nov 10Nov 23
32°FMar 19Mar 2Feb 12Nov 6Nov 20Dec 2
28°FMar 7Feb 16Jan 25Nov 15Dec 1Dec 17

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

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowin 12 days
Brussels Sprouts
July 31August 14
Fall sowin 26 days
Rutabaga
August 14August 28

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 31 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.

EL PASO INTL AP
Primary
3 km · 1194 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 2
FALL
Nov 20
LA TUNA 1 S
26 km · 1180 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 28
FALL
Nov 20
SANTA TERESA AP
31 km · 1252 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 23
FALL
Nov 11

Fort Bliss planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Fort Bliss, TX?

On average, the last spring frost in Fort Bliss is around March 2 (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 Fort Bliss, TX?

In Fort Bliss, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around November 20 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Fort Bliss in?

Fort Bliss is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. In zone 8b, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Fort Bliss?

Fort Bliss has about 263 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (March 2) and first fall frost (November 20).

When should I plant tomatoes in Fort Bliss?

For Fort Bliss, sow tomatoes indoors about January 5–January 19 and move the seedlings out around March 9, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Fort Bliss

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at EL PASO INTL AP, 3 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 Fort Bliss, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00023044. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/texas/fort-bliss.
When to Plant in Fort Bliss, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 8b — BlissGarden