USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 89178 — Las Vegas, Nevada
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Goodsprings, NV (3,716 ft), 7 miles southwest.
Updated
In Las Vegas, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 17 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 245 days (NOAA, Goodsprings, NV).
- Last spring frost
- March 17
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 245 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
- 17%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Las Vegas
Half of springs at Goodsprings, NV see their last 32°F night by March 17; only one in ten is past it by February 23, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 11 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 November 20 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 245 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 38 Nevada stations; it reaches 275 days one year in ten and falls short of 215 one year in ten. On average 56 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 7, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 18%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 15 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 5 |
| 20°F53% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 2 | Jan 15 |
| 20°F53% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 20 | Feb 9 |
| 16°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Goodsprings, 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 89178 →Compare Las Vegas with another place →
Weather by month in Las Vegas
July is the warmest month at Goodsprings, NV, averaging 102°F by day and 69°F at night; December is the coldest at 54°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 77% of years and April still brings one in 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,457 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 38 Nevada stations. 37% of them (2,016) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,097. Precipitation totals 6.6 inches a year, most in February (1.2") and least in June (0.0"); May to September bring 27% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 0.9 | 100% | 17 | 10 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 1.2 | 97% | 11 | 30 |
| Mar | 67 | 39 | 0.7 | 77% | 5 | 140 |
| Apr | 75 | 45 | 0.4 | 29% | 2 | 309 |
| May | 87 | 54 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Jun | 98 | 62 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Jul | 102 | 69 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 1097 |
| Aug | 100 | 66 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 1031 |
| Sep | 91 | 60 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Oct | 78 | 50 | 0.6 | 7% | <1 | 430 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 0.3 | 80% | 6 | 102 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 0.7 | 100% | 17 | 8 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Goodsprings, NV (3,716 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, 13 miles northeast of Las Vegas and 1,441 feet lower, has a last frost 41 days earlier (February 4), a first frost 15 days later (December 5), a season 57 days longer.
When it snows in Las Vegas, Nevada
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Las Vegas WFO, NV, 13 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 89178
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 6 – January 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 20 – February 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 89178 is 7 miles from Goodsprings, NV, which stands at 3,716 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 89178 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.