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When to plant in The Woodlands, TX

USDA Zone 9a

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

A generous ~287-day season lets The Woodlands gardeners direct-sow more and still ripen long-maturity crops like melons and winter squash. In zone 9a, frost is a minor factor for The Woodlands — most perennials thrive, and annual vegetables can go out early and stay late.

Station · HOUSTON HOOKS MEM AP · 12.5 km
Last spring frost
February 19
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
December 3
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
287 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for The WoodlandsA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for The Woodlands: last spring frost around February 19, first fall frost around December 3, about 287 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in The Woodlands is now 8 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

HOUSTON HOOKS MEM 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 The Woodlands’s own odds, recorded at HOUSTON HOOKS MEM AP.

Frost-probability curves for The WoodlandsProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around February 19 and the first fall frost around December 3, giving about 287 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°FMar 29Mar 7Feb 11Nov 2Nov 19Dec 8
32°FMar 15Feb 19Jan 21Nov 13Dec 3Jan 5
28°FMar 5Jan 31Dec 28Dec 2Dec 29Feb 1

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 25 days
Brussels Sprouts
August 13August 27

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 22 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.

HOUSTON HOOKS MEM AP
Primary
13 km · 46 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 19
FALL
Dec 3
CONROE
18 km · 75 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 24
FALL
Dec 2
CONROE MONTGOMERY CO AP
22 km · 75 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 11
FALL
Nov 19

The Woodlands planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in The Woodlands, TX?

The Woodlands's average last spring frost falls near February 19 — 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 The Woodlands, TX?

The first fall frost in The Woodlands typically arrives around December 3 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is The Woodlands in?

The Woodlands is in USDA hardiness zone 9a. In zone 9a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in The Woodlands?

The Woodlands has about 287 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (February 19) and first fall frost (December 3).

When should I plant tomatoes in The Woodlands?

For The Woodlands, sow tomatoes indoors about December 25–January 8 and move the seedlings out around February 26, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in The Woodlands

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at HOUSTON HOOKS MEM AP, 13 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 The Woodlands, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 9a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00053910. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/texas/the-woodlands.