USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 89460 — Gardnerville, Nevada
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Minden, NV (4,709 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Gardnerville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 30 in half of years and has passed by June 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 26, as early as September 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 119 days (NOAA, Minden, NV).
- Last spring frost
- May 30
- First fall frost
- September 26
- Growing season
- 119 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 2
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 21.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gardnerville
Half of springs at Minden, NV see their last 32°F night by May 30; only one in ten is past it by May 8, and one in ten still has one after June 14. Planting tender crops after June 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 8 20%, and after June 14 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 38 Nevada stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 26 in half of years, as early as September 9 one year in ten, and holds off past October 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 29, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 119 days in a typical year, shorter than at 87% of the 38 Nevada stations; it reaches 142 days one year in ten and falls short of 96 one year in ten. On average 189 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 June 12, and return around September 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 10 and March 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 29 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 8 | Jun 12 | Jun 15 | Jun 18 | Jun 23 | Jun 30 |
| 32°F | May 8 | May 15 | May 21 | May 25 | May 30 | Jun 1 | Jun 4 | Jun 8 | Jun 14 |
| 28°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 16 | May 22 | May 29 |
| 24°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 24 | Aug 31 | Sep 3 | Sep 6 | Sep 9 | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 24 |
| 32°F | Sep 9 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 24°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 20°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 16°F | Oct 25 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Minden, 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 89460 →Compare Gardnerville with another place →
Weather by month in Gardnerville
July is the warmest month at Minden, NV, averaging 91°F by day and 49°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,329 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 38 Nevada stations. 28% of them (657) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 623. Precipitation totals 9.4 inches a year, most in January (1.7") and least in September (0.2"); May to September bring 18% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 19 | 1.7 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 51 | 22 | 1.3 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Mar | 58 | 27 | 1.3 | 100% | 25 | 14 |
| Apr | 64 | 30 | 0.5 | 100% | 21 | 48 |
| May | 73 | 38 | 0.6 | 94% | 7 | 194 |
| Jun | 83 | 44 | 0.3 | 43% | 1 | 399 |
| Jul | 91 | 49 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Aug | 90 | 47 | 0.3 | 1% | 0 | 572 |
| Sep | 83 | 40 | 0.2 | 66% | 4 | 358 |
| Oct | 71 | 31 | 0.6 | 100% | 20 | 109 |
| Nov | 57 | 23 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 8 |
| Dec | 46 | 19 | 1.5 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Minden, NV (4,709 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, Dagget Pass, NV, 9 miles northwest of Gardnerville and 2,625 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days later (June 7), a first frost 2 days later (September 28), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Gardnerville, Nevada
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Gardnerville usually arrives around December 2, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Minden, NV, 3.6 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 66 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 89460
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 21 – April 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 2 – May 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 26 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 89460 is 4 miles from Minden, NV, which stands at 4,709 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 89460 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.