Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated Oct 29, 2026

Planting zone for 78340 — Bayside, TX

ZIP code 78340 (Bayside, Refugio County) is in USDA zone 9b: the coldest winter night averages 25 to 30 °F.

Where ZIP 78340 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone9b25 to 30 °F

Coldest night−3.9 to −1.1 °C

Last frostrare

First frostrare

2012 zone9b

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 9b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Bayside, TX…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

A 32 °F frost doesn't happen here in most winters. At the nearest station (NOAA station Rockport Aransas Co. Airport, TX — 9 miles away, elevation 23 ft) the median growing season is 347 days. When frost does come, it is a midwinter night or two; cover tender plants when a freeze is forecast.

Frost data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 78340 came on Jan 11 — 9 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 20).

average
Jan 202026
Jan 11

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 9b in Texas

646 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Texas, and rated by the USDA to survive 25 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 9b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Bayside, TX.

Soil in Bayside, TX

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 78340 is Victoria — clay, well drained.

TextureClayholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up

pH8.1alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0

DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class

Organic matter2%moderate

Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly

Farmland classprime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Victoria clay 0 to 1 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 78340; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Bayside, TX

Summer high92 °Faverage high, August

Winter low49 °Faverage low, January

Hot days105days a year at 90 °F or more

Freezing nights3nights a year at 32 °F or less

Growing degree days8,501base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat

Longest day13 h 56 mindaylight on June 21

Shortest day10 h 21 mindaylight on December 21

Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb

Precipitation36 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

Precipitation by month inches

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Rockport Aransas Co. Airport, TX (9 mi away); precipitation: Rockport 3.0 Nnw, TX (9 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

3 of the 8 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

Woodsboro, TX · 11 mi

783909b

Taft, TX · 12 mi

7833610a

Aransas Pass, TX · 13 mi

783779b

Refugio, TX · 14 mi

7833510a

Aransas Pass, TX · 14 mi

Texas planting zones →

Questions about 78340

What planting zone is ZIP code 78340?

ZIP code 78340 (Bayside, TX) is in USDA hardiness zone 9b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 25 to 30 °F (−3.9 to −1.1 °C).

How much rain and snow does 78340 get?

About 36 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Rockport 3.0 Nnw station).

How hot do summers get in Bayside, TX?

The average high peaks at 92 °F in August, with about 105 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 78340 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Victoria at the center of ZIP 78340: clay, well drained, pH about 8.1 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Bayside, TX in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 78340 came on Jan 11 in 2026, 9 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 20), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Bayside, TX?

Short-day onions: the longest day near 78340 is 13 h 56 min, so summer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb.