USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 89415 — Hawthorne, Nevada
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hawthorne, NV (4,400 ft), 5 miles east.
Updated
In Hawthorne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 185 days (NOAA, Hawthorne, NV).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 185 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hawthorne
Half of springs at Hawthorne, NV see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 63% of the 38 Nevada stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 25 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 185 days in a typical year, longer than at 63% of the 38 Nevada stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 161 one year in ten. On average 108 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 13 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between December 11 and January 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 | May 21 | May 29 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 10 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Jan 22 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hawthorne, 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 89415 →Compare Hawthorne with another place →
Weather by month in Hawthorne
July is the warmest month at Hawthorne, NV, averaging 95°F by day and 63°F at night; December is the coldest at 47°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,871 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 38 Nevada stations. 33% of them (1,268) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 911. Precipitation totals 4.3 inches a year, most in May (0.7") and least in September (0.1"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 26 | 0.4 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Feb | 53 | 30 | 0.4 | 100% | 19 | 13 |
| Mar | 62 | 35 | 0.5 | 99% | 12 | 69 |
| Apr | 67 | 39 | 0.3 | 93% | 6 | 151 |
| May | 77 | 48 | 0.7 | 25% | <1 | 390 |
| Jun | 87 | 56 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 644 |
| Jul | 95 | 63 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 911 |
| Aug | 93 | 62 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Sep | 85 | 54 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 574 |
| Oct | 71 | 42 | 0.4 | 67% | 3 | 234 |
| Nov | 57 | 32 | 0.4 | 100% | 16 | 35 |
| Dec | 47 | 26 | 0.2 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hawthorne, NV (4,400 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 Hawthorne, Nevada
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hawthorne, NV, 4.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 89415
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 89415 is 5 miles from Hawthorne, NV, which stands at 4,400 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 89415 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.