El Paso, Texas: planting zone & frost dates
El Paso is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 9 and the first fall frost around Nov 14.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 19 | Nov 6 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 9 | Nov 14 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 2 | Nov 20 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station EL PASO INTL AP, TX (USW00023044), 4.1 mi (6.6 km) from the city center and 26 ft higher than the city center (+8 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 28 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across El Paso
All 20 ZIP codes covering El Paso are in zone 8b.
Vegetable planting calendar for El Paso
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 9, first frost Nov 14). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | — | — |
| Pepper | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Feb 23 – Mar 16 | Feb 9 – Mar 23 | Sep 5 – Oct 3 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 16 – Apr 20 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 9 – Feb 16 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Cucumber | Feb 9 – Feb 16 | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 16 – Mar 23 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Onion | Dec 15 – Dec 29 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | — | — |
| Basil | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Jan 26 – Feb 23 | Sep 19 – Oct 17 |
| Kale | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | Sep 5 – Oct 3 |
| Broccoli | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Feb 23 – Mar 16 | — | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Peas | — | — | Jan 26 – Feb 16 | Sep 5 – Sep 19 |
| Eggplant | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | — | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 2 – Mar 23 | Oct 3 – Oct 31 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 16 – Mar 30 | Sep 5 – Sep 19 |
Nearby cities in Texas
- Odessa — zone 8b, last frost Mar 27, first frost Nov 8
- Midland — zone 8b, last frost Apr 3, first frost Nov 3
- Lubbock — zone 7b, last frost Apr 12, first frost Oct 28
- Amarillo — zone 7a, last frost Apr 20, first frost Oct 22
- San Angelo — zone 8a, last frost Apr 1, first frost Nov 4
- Abilene — zone 8a, last frost Mar 29, first frost Nov 5
More: all Texas cities · other zone 8b cities: Dallas, TX, Fort Worth, TX, Virginia Beach, VA, Arlington, TX, Plano, TX, Irving, TX, Garland, TX, Frisco, TX
El Paso gardening questions
When is the last frost in El Paso, TX?
Plan around Mar 9. At NOAA's El Paso Int'l Airport, TX station, 4.1 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Mar 2, and after Mar 19 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Feb 16. The 90% and 10% dates are 35 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in El Paso, TX?
Start seeds indoors Jan 12 – Jan 26 and set transplants outside Mar 16 – Mar 30, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 250 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in El Paso?
About 261 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 237 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 284 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 6 and a 30% chance by Nov 14. That ranks 25th longest of 55 Texas cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in El Paso?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 14): transplant broccoli Aug 22 – Sep 5; sow kale Sep 5 – Oct 3; sow lettuce Sep 5 – Oct 3; sow radishes Oct 3 – Oct 31. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 1. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did El Paso's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of El Paso was zone 8a on the 2012 map and is zone 8b on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
How does El Paso compare with Las Cruces, NM?
Both are in zone 8b. The typical last spring frost in El Paso (Mar 9) comes about 11 days earlier than in Las Cruces, NM (Mar 20), 39 miles away, and the first fall frost is Nov 14 versus Nov 7. The two cities use different NOAA stations.