USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 85544 — Pine, Arizona
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Natural Brg, AZ (4,608 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Pine, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 211 days (NOAA, Natural Brg, AZ).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 211 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 47%
- Snow per year
- 1.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pine
Half of springs at Natural Brg, AZ see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 31 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 85% 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 November 10 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 14, 26 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 211 days in a typical year, shorter than at 64% of the 98 Arizona stations; it reaches 238 days one year in ten and falls short of 182 one year in ten. On average 76 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 21 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 46%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 30 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 14 |
| 24°F | Jan 20 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Natural Brg, 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 85544 →Compare Pine with another place →
Weather by month in Pine
July is the warmest month at Natural Brg, AZ, averaging 91°F by day and 65°F at night; December is the coldest at 53°F and 30°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 67% of years and May still brings one in 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,033 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 102 Arizona stations. 34% of them (1,370) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 859.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 30 | 100% | 20 | 2 |
| Feb | 57 | 32 | 100% | 15 | 18 |
| Mar | 64 | 36 | 98% | 9 | 74 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 67% | 3 | 183 |
| May | 79 | 48 | 19% | 1 | 408 |
| Jun | 88 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Jul | 91 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Aug | 89 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Sep | 84 | 57 | 0% | <1 | 601 |
| Oct | 74 | 46 | 25% | 1 | 330 |
| Nov | 63 | 36 | 95% | 7 | 79 |
| Dec | 53 | 30 | 100% | 20 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Natural Brg, AZ (4,608 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, Payson, AZ, 13 miles southeast of Pine and 242 feet higher, has a last frost 20 days later (April 29), a first frost 17 days earlier (October 24), a season 35 days shorter.
When it snows in Pine, Arizona
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 15 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Irving, AZ, 8.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 85544
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 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 85544 is 5 miles from Natural Brg, AZ, which stands at 4,608 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 85544 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.