USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 89521 — Reno, Nevada
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Reno Tahoe International Airport, NV (4,410 ft), 7 miles north.
Updated
In Reno, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Reno Tahoe International Airport, NV).
- Last spring frost
- April 20
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 184 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
- November 27
- Last snow
- April 3
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 20.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Reno
Half of springs at Reno Tahoe International Airport, NV see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 5 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 October 23 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 38 Nevada stations; it reaches 206 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 122 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 3, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 94% of winters, usually between December 10 and January 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 11 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Jan 15 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Reno Tahoe International 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 89521 →Compare Reno with another place →
Weather by month in Reno
July is the warmest month at Reno Tahoe International Airport, NV, averaging 94°F by day and 60°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 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,420 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 58% of the 38 Nevada stations. 31% of them (1,069) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 842. Precipitation totals 7.3 inches a year, most in January (1.3") and least in July (0.2"); May to September bring 22% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 26 | 1.3 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 1.0 | 100% | 22 | 5 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 0.8 | 100% | 15 | 39 |
| Apr | 65 | 39 | 0.4 | 95% | 7 | 116 |
| May | 74 | 47 | 0.6 | 17% | 1 | 331 |
| Jun | 85 | 54 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 577 |
| Jul | 94 | 60 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 842 |
| Aug | 92 | 58 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 778 |
| Sep | 84 | 50 | 0.2 | 1% | 0 | 512 |
| Oct | 70 | 40 | 0.5 | 78% | 5 | 192 |
| Nov | 57 | 31 | 0.6 | 100% | 19 | 25 |
| Dec | 47 | 26 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Reno Tahoe International Airport, NV (4,410 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, Virginia City, NV, 7 miles southeast of Reno and 1,930 feet higher, has a last frost 22 days later (May 12), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 17), a season 29 days shorter.
When it snows in Reno, Nevada
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Reno usually arrives around November 27, and the last of the season around April 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Reno Tahoe International Airport, NV, 6.5 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 89521
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 9 – February 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 89521 is 7 miles from Reno Tahoe International Airport, NV, which stands at 4,410 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 89502 (Reno). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 89521 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.