USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 89118 — Las Vegas, Nevada
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, NV (2,131 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Las Vegas, the last spring frost (32°F) is around January 20 in half of years and has passed by February 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 15, as early as November 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 333 days (NOAA, Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, NV).
- Last spring frost
- January 20
- First fall frost
- December 15
- Growing season
- 333 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Las Vegas
Half of springs at Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, NV see their last 32°F night by January 20; only one in ten is past it by December 20, and one in ten still has one after February 14. Planting tender crops after February 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 6 20%, and after February 14 10%. The 25 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% of the 38 Nevada 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 15 in half of years, as early as November 28 one year in ten, and holds off past January 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F is less common: it came in 45% of winters. The freeze-free season lasts 333 days in a typical year, longer than at 97% of the 38 Nevada stations; it reaches 360 days one year in ten and falls short of 299 one year in ten. On average 10 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 22 days longer, to about February 11, and return around December 3. A 24°F night is unusual: 7% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 |
| 32°F94% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 |
| 28°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 |
| 32°F94% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 7 |
| 28°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, NV, 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 89118 →Compare Las Vegas with another place →
Weather by month in Las Vegas
July is the warmest month at Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, NV, averaging 105°F by day and 82°F at night; December is the coldest at 57°F and 40°F. From March to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,587 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 38 Nevada stations. 40% of them (3,035) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,341. 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 | 59 | 41 | 0.6 | 66% | 3 | 59 |
| Feb | 63 | 44 | 0.8 | 29% | 1 | 130 |
| Mar | 71 | 51 | 0.4 | 1% | <1 | 340 |
| Apr | 79 | 57 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 531 |
| May | 89 | 66 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Jun | 99 | 76 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 1128 |
| Jul | 105 | 82 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 1341 |
| Aug | 103 | 81 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 1293 |
| Sep | 95 | 72 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 1010 |
| Oct | 81 | 60 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 633 |
| Nov | 67 | 47 | 0.3 | 13% | 1 | 234 |
| Dec | 57 | 40 | 0.5 | 75% | 5 | 43 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, NV (2,131 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, Las Vegas WFO, NV, 3 miles southeast of Las Vegas, has a last frost 15 days later (February 4), a first frost 10 days earlier (December 5), a season 31 days shorter.
When it snows in Las Vegas, Nevada
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, NV, 2.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 89118
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 11 – November 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| November 25 – December 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| December 23 – January 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| January 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 15 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 89118 is 3 miles from Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, NV, which stands at 2,131 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 89121 (Las Vegas). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 89118 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.