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When to plant in Temple, TX

USDA Zone 8b

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

A generous ~251-day season lets Temple gardeners direct-sow more and still ripen long-maturity crops like melons and winter squash. These dates come from a station roughly 15 km away, the closest with full normals; terrain around Temple (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 Temple, while your frost dates still decide when annuals go out.

Station · STILLHOUSE HOLLOW DAM · 15.3 km
Last spring frost
March 14
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 20
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
251 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for TempleA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Temple: last spring frost around March 14, first fall frost around November 20, about 251 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average first fall frost in Temple is now 7 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW DAM · 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 Temple’s own odds, recorded at STILLHOUSE HOLLOW DAM.

Frost-probability curves for TempleProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 14 and the first fall frost around November 20, giving about 251 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 27Mar 7Oct 21Nov 8Nov 28
32°FApr 4Mar 14Feb 22Oct 29Nov 20Dec 9
28°FMar 21Mar 1Jan 31Nov 10Dec 1Dec 28

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 37 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.

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW DAM
Primary
15 km · 215 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 14
FALL
Nov 20
KILLEEN
29 km · 248 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 14
FALL
Nov 17
MCGREGOR
37 km · 220 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 15
FALL
Nov 18

Temple planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Temple, TX?

Plan for the last spring frost in Temple around March 14 (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 Temple, TX?

In Temple, 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 Temple in?

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

How long is the growing season in Temple?

There are roughly 251 frost-free days in Temple (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around March 14 to the first fall frost near November 20.

When should I plant tomatoes in Temple?

In Temple, start tomato seeds indoors around January 17–January 31, then transplant seedlings outdoors around March 21 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Temple

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at STILLHOUSE HOLLOW DAM, 15 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 Temple, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00418646. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/texas/temple.