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When to plant in Socorro, TX

USDA Zone 8b

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

Socorro enjoys a long ~263-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. These dates come from a station roughly 22 km away, the closest with full normals; terrain around Socorro (elevation, water, pavement) can move your real frost dates a few days either way. Zone 8b means many perennials and even some tender shrubs overwinter in Socorro, while your frost dates still decide when annuals go out.

Station · EL PASO INTL AP · 22.2 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 SocorroA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Socorro: 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 Socorro 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 Socorro’s own odds, recorded at EL PASO INTL AP.

Frost-probability curves for SocorroProbability 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

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 36 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
22 km · 1194 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 2
FALL
Nov 20
TORNILLO 2 SSE
32 km · 1074 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 21
FALL
Nov 6
EL PASO 32 ENE
36 km · 1597 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 24
FALL
Nov 11

Socorro planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Socorro, TX?

Plan for the last spring frost in Socorro around March 2 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Socorro, TX?

Expect Socorro's first fall frost near November 20 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Socorro in?

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

How long is the growing season in Socorro?

There are roughly 263 frost-free days in Socorro (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around March 2 to the first fall frost near November 20.

When should I plant tomatoes in Socorro?

In Socorro, start tomato seeds indoors around January 5–January 19, then transplant seedlings outdoors around March 9 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Socorro

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at EL PASO INTL AP, 22 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 Socorro, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00023044. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/texas/socorro.