USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 89301 — Ely, Nevada
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ely Yelland Field Airport, NV (6,262 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Ely, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 12 in half of years and has passed by June 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 13, as early as August 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 91 days (NOAA, Ely Yelland Field Airport, NV).
- Last spring frost
- June 12
- First fall frost
- September 13
- Growing season
- 91 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 26
- Last snow
- April 30
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 54.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ely
Half of springs at Ely Yelland Field Airport, NV see their last 32°F night by June 12; only one in ten is past it by May 29, and one in ten still has one after June 28. Planting tender crops after June 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 23 20%, and after June 28 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 92% of the 38 Nevada stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 13 in half of years, as early as August 31 one year in ten, and holds off past September 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around September 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 17, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 91 days in a typical year, the shortest of the 38 Nevada stations; it reaches 112 days one year in ten and falls short of 70 one year in ten. On average 215 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between October 23 and April 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 29 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 10 | Jun 12 | Jun 16 | Jun 19 | Jun 23 | Jun 28 |
| 28°F | May 11 | May 17 | May 22 | May 27 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 7 | Jun 12 | Jun 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 23 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 28 | Jun 5 |
| 20°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 | May 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 19 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Aug 31 | Sep 4 | Sep 7 | Sep 10 | Sep 13 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 |
| 28°F | Sep 8 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 6 |
| 24°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 20°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 16°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ely Yelland Field 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 89301 →Compare Ely with another place →
Weather by month in Ely
July is the warmest month at Ely Yelland Field Airport, NV, averaging 89°F by day and 49°F at night; December is the coldest at 41°F and 12°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from September to May (a 90% chance or more). July is the only month with under a 10% chance of a 32°F night. In spring, June still brings one in 85% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,951 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 92% of the 38 Nevada stations. 25% of them (491) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 597. Precipitation totals 9.5 inches a year, most in April (1.1") and least in June (0.6"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 12 | 0.8 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 44 | 16 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 52 | 23 | 1.0 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Apr | 59 | 28 | 1.1 | 100% | 24 | 19 |
| May | 69 | 34 | 1.1 | 100% | 14 | 123 |
| Jun | 81 | 41 | 0.6 | 85% | 3 | 347 |
| Jul | 89 | 49 | 0.6 | 5% | <1 | 597 |
| Aug | 87 | 48 | 0.8 | 12% | <1 | 541 |
| Sep | 78 | 39 | 0.6 | 95% | 7 | 270 |
| Oct | 65 | 28 | 0.8 | 100% | 23 | 50 |
| Nov | 51 | 19 | 0.6 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Dec | 41 | 12 | 0.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ely Yelland Field Airport, NV (6,262 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
When it snows in Ely, Nevada
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ely usually arrives around October 26, and the last of the season around April 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ely Yelland Field Airport, NV, 4.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 89301
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| April 3 – April 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 17 – May 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 15 – May 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by August 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 13 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 89301 is 4 miles from Ely Yelland Field Airport, NV, which stands at 6,262 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 89301 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.