USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 85118 — Gold Canyon, Arizona
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Apache Junction 5 NE, AZ (2,070 ft), 9 miles northwest.
Updated
In Gold Canyon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 11 in half of years and has passed by March 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 10, as early as November 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 304 days (NOAA, Apache Junction 5 NE, AZ).
- Last spring frost
- February 11
- First fall frost
- December 10
- Growing season
- 304 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gold Canyon
Half of springs at Apache Junction 5 NE, AZ see their last 32°F night by February 11; only one in ten is past it by January 5, and one in ten still has one after March 7. Planting tender crops after February 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 28 20%, and after March 7 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 58% of the 98 Arizona stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 10 in half of years, as early as November 19 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around December 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 18, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 304 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 98 Arizona stations; it reaches 341 days one year in ten and falls short of 269 one year in ten. On average 8 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 23 days longer, to about March 6, and return around November 28. A 24°F night is unusual: 30% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 7 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 24 | Apr 1 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 28°F78% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 7 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F78% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Apache Junction 5 NE, AZ, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 85118 →Compare Gold Canyon with another place →
Weather by month in Gold Canyon
July is the warmest month at Apache Junction 5 NE, AZ, averaging 105°F by day and 77°F at night; December is the coldest at 66°F and 42°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 57% of years and March still brings one in 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 8,111 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 102 Arizona stations. 40% of them (3,245) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,274. Precipitation totals 12.6 inches a year, most in February (1.7") and least in June (0.1"); May to September bring 35% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67 | 43 | 1.5 | 73% | 2 | 173 |
| Feb | 70 | 44 | 1.7 | 57% | 2 | 211 |
| Mar | 77 | 48 | 1.3 | 18% | <1 | 386 |
| Apr | 85 | 53 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 560 |
| May | 93 | 60 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Jun | 103 | 69 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 1081 |
| Jul | 105 | 77 | 1.4 | 0% | 0 | 1274 |
| Aug | 104 | 76 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 1243 |
| Sep | 99 | 71 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 1056 |
| Oct | 88 | 60 | 0.7 | 1% | 0 | 752 |
| Nov | 76 | 50 | 1.0 | 28% | 1 | 386 |
| Dec | 66 | 42 | 1.5 | 82% | 3 | 155 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Apache Junction 5 NE, AZ (2,070 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, E Mesa, AZ, 14 miles northwest of Gold Canyon and 552 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days earlier (February 1), the same first-frost date, a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Gold Canyon, Arizona
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Apache Junction 5 NE, AZ, 9.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 85118
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 3 – December 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 17 – December 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 14 – January 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 10 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 85118 is 9 miles from Apache Junction 5 NE, AZ, which stands at 2,070 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 85119 (Apache Junction). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 85118 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.