Missouri City, Texas: planting zone & frost dates
Missouri City is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 1 and the first fall frost around Nov 27.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 15 | Nov 13 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 1 | Nov 27 |
| Median (50%) | Feb 15 | Dec 6 |
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 THOMPSONS 3 WSW, TX (USC00418996), 8.0 mi (12.9 km) from the city center and 7 ft higher than the city center (+2 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 27 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Missouri City
All 5 ZIP codes covering Missouri City are in zone 9b.
Vegetable planting calendar for Missouri City
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 1, first frost Nov 27). 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 4 – Jan 18 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | — | — |
| Pepper | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | Feb 1 – Mar 15 | Sep 18 – Oct 16 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 8 – Apr 12 | Sep 4 – Sep 18 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 8 – Apr 5 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 1 – Feb 8 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | Sep 4 – Sep 18 |
| Cucumber | Feb 1 – Feb 8 | Mar 15 – Mar 22 | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | Sep 4 – Sep 18 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 8 – Mar 15 | Sep 4 – Sep 18 |
| Onion | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 1 – Feb 22 | — | — |
| Basil | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Jan 18 – Feb 15 | Oct 2 – Oct 30 |
| Kale | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 1 – Feb 22 | Feb 1 – Feb 22 | Sep 18 – Oct 16 |
| Broccoli | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | — | Sep 4 – Sep 18 |
| Peas | — | — | Jan 18 – Feb 8 | Sep 18 – Oct 2 |
| Eggplant | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | — | Sep 4 – Sep 18 |
| Radish | — | — | Jan 25 – Mar 15 | Oct 16 – Nov 13 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 1 – Feb 22 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 8 – Mar 22 | Sep 18 – Oct 2 |
Nearby cities in Texas
- Sugar Land — zone 9b, last frost Feb 20, first frost Dec 3
- Pearland — zone 9b, last frost Feb 15, first frost Dec 10
- Houston — zone 9b, last frost Feb 18, first frost Dec 8
- Pasadena — zone 9b, last frost Feb 10, first frost Dec 10
- League City — zone 9b, last frost Feb 15, first frost Dec 3
- Baytown — zone 9b, last frost Mar 2, first frost Nov 25
More: all Texas cities · other zone 9b cities: Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, San Jose, CA, Fresno, CA, Sacramento, CA, Mesa, AZ, Bakersfield, CA
Missouri City gardening questions
When is the last frost in Missouri City, TX?
Plan around Mar 1. At NOAA's Thompsons 3 WSW, TX station, 8.0 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 Feb 15, and after Mar 15 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Jan 26. Springs here are erratic: 61 days separate the 90% and 10% dates, versus a median of 36 days for cities on this site, so watch the forecast rather than the calendar.
When should I plant tomatoes in Missouri City, TX?
Start seeds indoors Jan 4 – Jan 18 and set transplants outside Mar 8 – Mar 22, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. With about 271 frost-free days, frost is not the main limit — fruit set drops when nights stay above about 75°F, so early plantings tend to do best. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Missouri City?
About 297 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 261 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 335 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 13 and a 30% chance by Nov 27. That ranks 14th longest of 55 Texas cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Missouri City?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 27): transplant broccoli Sep 4 – Sep 18; sow kale Sep 18 – Oct 16; sow lettuce Sep 18 – Oct 16; sow radishes Oct 16 – Nov 13. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 29. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Missouri City's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Missouri City was zone 9a on the 2012 map and is zone 9b 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 Missouri City compare with Sugar Land, TX?
Both are in zone 9b. The typical last spring frost in Missouri City (Mar 1) comes about 9 days later than in Sugar Land, TX (Feb 20), 6 miles away, and the first fall frost is Nov 27 versus Dec 3. The two cities use different NOAA stations.