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When to plant in McKinney, TX

USDA Zone 8b

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in McKinney, Texas — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

McKinney enjoys a long ~243-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. In zone 8b, McKinney supports a wide range of perennials year-round; the frost dates above are what set your annual vegetable timing.

Station · MCKINNEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT · 6.9 km
Last spring frost
March 17
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 15
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
243 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for McKinneyA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for McKinney: last spring frost around March 17, first fall frost around November 15, about 243 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in McKinney is now 11 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

MCKINNEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT · 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 McKinney’s own odds, recorded at MCKINNEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.

Frost-probability curves for McKinneyProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 17 and the first fall frost around November 15, giving about 243 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 19Mar 31Mar 9Oct 20Nov 3Nov 24
32°FApr 5Mar 17Feb 27Oct 27Nov 15Dec 5
28°FMar 24Mar 4Feb 15Nov 6Nov 30Dec 23

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 7 days
Brussels Sprouts
July 26August 9
Fall sowin 21 days
Rutabaga
August 9August 23

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 McKinney, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 24 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.

MCKINNEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
Primary
7 km · 179 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 17
FALL
Nov 15
MCKINNEY MUNI AP
7 km · 177 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 18
FALL
Nov 11
RICHARDSON
24 km · 207 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 7
FALL
Nov 21

McKinney planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in McKinney, TX?

McKinney's average last spring frost falls near March 17 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.

When is the first fall frost in McKinney, TX?

In McKinney, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around November 15 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is McKinney in?

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

How long is the growing season in McKinney?

McKinney has about 243 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (March 17) and first fall frost (November 15).

When should I plant tomatoes in McKinney?

For McKinney, sow tomatoes indoors about January 20–February 3 and move the seedlings out around March 24, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in McKinney

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at MCKINNEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, 7 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 McKinney, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00415766. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/texas/mckinney.