To a tropical gardener a killing frost really kills a lot of your plants. Cover tender plants or bring them in if the forecast is for mid-30Fs or low-30Fs.
The AVERAGE date for the LAST killing frost at Houston Hobby airport is February 14th each year.
Current Week (Scroll Down) Compared to Yearly List of Dates from EARLIEST TO LATEST Killing Frosts:
None/1999-2000
12/13/1983
12/13/1983
12/14/1997
12/25/1989
12/26/1985
12/26/2005
12/31/1990
1/3/2008
1/5/1969
1/5/1999
1/13/2012 (so far)
1/16/1992
1/17/1997
1/21/2001
1/24/2003
1/28/2004
1/29/2009
2/1/1949
2/3/1985
2/7/1984
2/9/1972 (Ellington Field)
2/7/1984
2/9/1972 (Ellington Field)
2/10/1994
2/12/2011
2/12/1981
2/12/1981
2/12/1988
2/12/2006
2/16/2007
2/25/2010
2/25/2010
3/3/1980 (32 years ago)
3/5/2002 (10 years ago)
3/7/1989 (22 years ago)
3/7/1989 (22 years ago)
3/7/1982 (30 years ago)
3/8/1995 (17 years ago)
3/10/1996 (16 years ago)
3/14/1993 (19 years ago)
3/17/1900 (112 years ago)
3/19/1923
***WE ARE HERE & NEARING THE END....CURRENT WEEK
3/31/1987 (25 years ago)
3/17/1900 (112 years ago)
3/19/1923
***WE ARE HERE & NEARING THE END....CURRENT WEEK
3/31/1987 (25 years ago)
NO FROSTS AFTER THIS DATE AT HOBBY AIRPORT/ HOUSTON, TEXAS
2011-2012 ~ January 13th (so far) (early Spring) EE
2010-2011~February 12th (near normal) N (Lowest: 23F)
2009-2010~February 25th (late Spring) L (Lowest 21F)
2008-2009~January 29th (early Spring) E (Lowest 32F)
2007-2008~January 3rd (early Spring) EE (Lowest 32F)
2006-2007~February 16th (near normal) N (Lowest 29F)
2005-2006~February 12th (near normal)N
2004-2005~December 26th (early Spring) E
2003-2004~January 28th (early Spring) E
2002-2003~January 24th (early Spring) E
2001-2002~March 5th (late Spring) L
2000-2001~January 21st (early Spring) E
1999-2000~NONE (no frost) EEE lowest: 33degrees
1998-1999~January 5th (early Spring) EE
1997-1998~December 14th (1 frost) EEE lowest: 32 degrees
1996-1997~January 17th (early Spring) E
1995-1996~March 10th (late Spring) L
1994-1995~March 8th (late Spring) L
1993-1994~February 10th (near normal)N
1992-1993~March 14th (late Spring)L
1991-1992~January 16th (early Spring)E
1990-1991~December 31st (very early Spring) EE
1989-1990~December 25th (very early Spring) EE
{Special NOTE: December 1989 remains one of the harshest winters in recent history with temperatures of 23F, 14F, and 9F recorded in the same month.
It also snowed that Christmas. Our son was a one year old and he had a White Christmas in Houston!}
1988-1989~March 7th (late Spring) L
1987-1988~February 12th (near normal) N
1986-1987~March 31st (very late Spring) LL
1985-1986~December 26th (very early Spring) EE
1984-1985~February 3rd (early Spring) E
{Special NOTE: The winter of '85 was severe with lows of 20F, 21F, and 22F. Ice storm that year.}
1983-1984~February 7th (early Spring) E
{Special NOTE: The winter of '83-'84 was especially harsh with a December sequence of 23F, 25F, 17F, 13F, 21F, 24F, 22F, 22F, and 20F. It was our first Christmas as a married couple and we were iced in. No one could visit or travel that year for the holidays.}
1982-1983~December 13th (very early Spring) EE one frost of 32F
1981-1982~March 7th (late Spring) L
{Special NOTE: January of '82 was especially harsh with a lows of 27F, 21F, 32F, 30F, 24F, 26F, and 15F. My car battery died out on the 15F day along the side of the highway.}
1980-1981~February 12th (near normal) N NOTE: low of 15F in February
1979-1980~March 3rd (late frost) L
1978-1979
1977-1978
1976-1977
1975-1976
1974-1975
1973-1974
1972-1973
1971-1972~February 9th (early Spring) E
1970-1971 no records available
1969-1970 no records available
1968-1969~January 5th (very early Spring) EE
Older dates I've collected:
1948-1949~February 1st (early Spring) E
1922-1923~March 19th (very late Spring) LL lastest freeze date for Galveston Island
1899-1900~March 17th 30degrees (very late Spring) LL
1891-1892~March 18th 27degrees (very late Spring) LL
So far, from the hundreds of dates I've looked at, the only patterns I've found are these:
1) once you have a day in Spring with a high of 78 to 80 degrees, you will have no frosts after that date.
2) We haven't landed on the average killing frost date in the past 22 years.
3) So far, there have not been three late Springs in a row, but there have been 3 early Springs in a row.
4) No two years share the same last date for a frost for the past 22 years! No wonder farmers have such a tough time figuring out when to plant their crops.
5) Last killing frost dates give NO CLUE to the severity of freezes for that winter. An early Spring could be in the same year with a low winter temperature of 14F for Houston! Imagine!
I have records dating back to 1948, but I have to search each date individually on a weather website (ugh). I'll work on this each week until there is a complete record. Galveston, Texas goes back to the 1880s, but it is not online and I can only put the month, not the exact date.
David/:0)
