USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 86440 — Mohave Valley, Arizona
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Needles Airport, CA (890 ft), 9 miles south.
Updated
Frost is not a yearly event in Mohave Valley: a night at or below 32°F came in 37% of the winters of 1991–2020 at Needles Airport, CA, and a 36°F night, cold enough for frost on exposed leaves, in 88%. There is no reliable "last frost date" here; most years have none.
- Winters with a freeze
- 37%
- Winters with 36°F
- 88%
- Coldest month low
- 45°F
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
32°F or below, 1991–2020
frost possible on leaves
average, December
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 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mohave Valley
At Needles Airport, CA, 9 miles south of Mohave Valley, 37% of the winters of 1991–2020 had at least one night at or below 32°F, 4% reached 28°F. Nights of 36°F, enough for frost on exposed leaves, are more common (88% of winters) and, when they come, fall between about December 21 and January 15. January is the month most likely to bring one: a 19% chance in a given year. 3 of the 102 other Arizona stations behind this site's ZIP pages freeze in fewer than half of winters too.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F88% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 20 |
| 32°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F88% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 18 |
| 32°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Needles Airport, CA, 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 86440 →Compare Mohave Valley with another place →
Weather by month in Mohave Valley
July is the warmest month at Needles Airport, CA, averaging 111°F by day and 87°F at night; December is the coldest at 65°F and 45°F. From February to November the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 9,615 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the most of the 102 Arizona stations. 42% of them (4,026) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,505. Precipitation totals 4.2 inches a year, most in February (0.8") and least in June (0.0"); May to September bring 26% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 46 | 0.7 | 19% | 1 | 204 |
| Feb | 71 | 49 | 0.8 | 7% | <1 | 280 |
| Mar | 79 | 54 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 515 |
| Apr | 87 | 61 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 711 |
| May | 96 | 70 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 1026 |
| Jun | 106 | 80 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 1290 |
| Jul | 111 | 87 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 1505 |
| Aug | 109 | 85 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 1468 |
| Sep | 103 | 77 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 1199 |
| Oct | 90 | 65 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 839 |
| Nov | 75 | 53 | 0.3 | 1% | <1 | 416 |
| Dec | 65 | 45 | 0.4 | 16% | 1 | 164 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Needles Airport, CA (890 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, 17 miles north of Mohave Valley and 359 feet lower, has a 32°F night in 67% of winters against 37% here, and a coolest-month low 1°F colder (44°F).
When it snows in Mohave 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, 19.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 86440 is 9 miles from Needles Airport, CA, which stands at 890 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 86440 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.