USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 86413 — Golden Valley, Arizona
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kingman Mohave Co Airport, AZ (3,420 ft), 18 miles east.
Updated
In Golden Valley, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 2 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Kingman Mohave Co Airport, AZ).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 220 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Golden Valley
Half of springs at Kingman Mohave Co Airport, AZ see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 61% of the 98 Arizona stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 11 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, shorter than at 59% of the 98 Arizona stations; it reaches 249 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 one year in ten. On average 66 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 20, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 36%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 28 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Jan 6 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 7 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 |
| 16°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 23 |
| 16°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kingman Mohave Co Airport, 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 86413 →Compare Golden Valley with another place →
Weather by month in Golden Valley
July is the warmest month at Kingman Mohave Co Airport, AZ, averaging 99°F by day and 70°F at night; December is the coldest at 56°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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,325 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 56% of the 102 Arizona stations. 36% of them (1,915) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,065. Precipitation totals 8.1 inches a year, most in January (1.0") and least in May (0.1"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 31 | 1.0 | 100% | 18 | 12 |
| Feb | 61 | 33 | 1.0 | 99% | 13 | 37 |
| Mar | 67 | 38 | 0.6 | 90% | 6 | 136 |
| Apr | 75 | 43 | 0.5 | 51% | 2 | 286 |
| May | 85 | 53 | 0.1 | 2% | 0 | 583 |
| Jun | 95 | 62 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 861 |
| Jul | 99 | 70 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 1065 |
| Aug | 97 | 69 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 1025 |
| Sep | 91 | 60 | 1.0 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Oct | 79 | 48 | 0.7 | 18% | 1 | 427 |
| Nov | 66 | 37 | 0.6 | 96% | 7 | 113 |
| Dec | 56 | 30 | 0.7 | 100% | 20 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kingman Mohave Co Airport, AZ (3,420 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, Bullhead City, AZ, 19 miles west of Golden Valley and 2,889 feet lower, has a last frost 88 days earlier (January 4), a first frost 42 days later (December 23), a season 136 days longer.
When it snows in Golden Valley, Arizona
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Laughlin, NV, 19.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 86413
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 86413 is 18 miles from Kingman Mohave Co Airport, AZ, which stands at 3,420 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 86409 (Kingman). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 86413 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.