USDA zone 6b in Texas
USDA plant hardiness zone 6b covers 5 locations across Texas (average annual extreme minimum −5 to 0 °F): Dalhart, TX, Lipscomb, TX, Perryton, TX, Stratford, TX, Texhoma, TX. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 14 (Perryton) to April 27 (Lipscomb), and growing seasons run 170–197 days (Lipscomb to Perryton) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Texas location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Dalhart, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 6b−5 to 0 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 14–Apr 27avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 15–Oct 30avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 170–197days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalhart * | — | Dalhart Muni Ap | Apr 21 | Oct 20 | 181 |
| Lipscomb | — | Lipscomb | Apr 27 | Oct 15 | 170 |
| Perryton | — | Perryton | Apr 14 | Oct 30 | 197 |
| Stratford | Texhoma | Stratford | Apr 21 | Oct 21 | 181 |
| Texhoma | Hough | Goodwell Rsch Stn | Apr 24 | Oct 19 | 178 |
* Dalhart is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Dalhart, representative)
Computed from Dalhart's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Texaszone 6b group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 28 – May 5 | Jun 27 – Jul 17 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | May 5 – May 12 | Jul 4 – Aug 3 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 5 | Jun 17 – Jul 7 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 28 – May 5 | Jun 12 – Jun 27 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 28 – May 5 | Jun 17 – Jun 27 | Aug 21 – Aug 31 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 20 – Jul 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 28 – Jun 12 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 8 – May 23 | Aug 7 – Aug 22 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | May 4 – May 19 | Jul 28 – Aug 12 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 19 – Apr 29 | Aug 17 – Aug 27 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 30 – Jun 19 | Jul 18 – Aug 7 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 18 – Jun 7 | Jul 23 – Aug 12 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Dalhart's own 181-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Dalhart)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USW00093042. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 13 | Oct 12 | Oct 22 | 162 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 21 | May 4 | Oct 20 | Nov 1 | 181 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 10 | 200 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 13 | Nov 7 | Nov 20 | 221 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 5 locations is 4,129; Dalhart's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 4,129 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,736 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6b in Texas
Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −5 to 0 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. Texas spans 9 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Texas locations for the full range, including zones7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b.
Explore zone 6b in other states at zone 6b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 6b mean in Texas?
- Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −5 to 0 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 5 locations in Texas fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Texas's zone 6b is the growing season longest?
- Perryton runs the longest season on this page at about 197 days; Lipscomb is shortest at about 170 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Texas's zone 6b?
- Using Dalhart's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 24 – Mar 10, then transplant outside about Apr 28 – May 5. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Texas's zone 6b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 5 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.