USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 85546 — Safford, Arizona
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Safford Ag Ctr, AZ (2,954 ft), 1 miles northeast.
Updated
In Safford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 228 days (NOAA, Safford Ag Ctr, AZ).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 228 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Safford
Half of springs at Safford Ag Ctr, AZ see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 14 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 52% of the 98 Arizona stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 9 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 23, 22 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 228 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 98 Arizona stations; it reaches 253 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 70 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 18 days longer, to about April 12, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 42%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 23 |
| 24°F | Jan 15 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 |
| 16°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 16 |
| 16°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Safford Ag Ctr, 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 85546 →Compare Safford with another place →
Weather by month in Safford
July is the warmest month at Safford Ag Ctr, AZ, averaging 99°F by day and 69°F at night; December is the coldest at 61°F and 30°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,967 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 52% of the 102 Arizona stations. 40% of them (2,384) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,060. Precipitation totals 9.0 inches a year, most in August (1.8") and least in April (0.2"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 30 | 0.7 | 100% | 21 | 23 |
| Feb | 67 | 34 | 0.7 | 99% | 13 | 74 |
| Mar | 74 | 39 | 0.5 | 92% | 5 | 228 |
| Apr | 83 | 46 | 0.2 | 35% | 1 | 422 |
| May | 91 | 54 | 0.2 | 2% | 0 | 698 |
| Jun | 100 | 63 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Jul | 99 | 69 | 1.4 | 0% | 0 | 1060 |
| Aug | 97 | 68 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Sep | 93 | 61 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 813 |
| Oct | 84 | 48 | 0.8 | 22% | 1 | 509 |
| Nov | 72 | 37 | 0.5 | 96% | 8 | 172 |
| Dec | 61 | 30 | 0.8 | 100% | 21 | 24 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Safford Ag Ctr, AZ (2,954 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, Fort Thomas 2 SW, AZ, 22 miles northwest of Safford, has a last frost 7 days later (April 1), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 6), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Safford, Arizona
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Safford Ag Ctr, AZ, 1.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 85546
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 85546 is 1 mile from Safford Ag Ctr, AZ, which stands at 2,954 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 85546 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.