USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 89705 — Carson City, Nevada
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carson City, NV (4,761 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Carson City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 152 days (NOAA, Carson City, NV).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 152 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 12
- Last snow
- February 26
- Winters with snow
- 92%
- Snow per year
- 14"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Carson City
Half of springs at Carson City, NV see their last 32°F night by May 4; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 29. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 21 20%, and after May 29 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 October 6 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 20 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 152 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 38 Nevada stations; it reaches 173 days one year in ten and falls short of 127 one year in ten. On average 146 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 22 days longer, to about May 26, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and February 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 5 | May 12 | May 18 | May 22 | May 26 | May 30 | Jun 2 | Jun 5 | Jun 13 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 14 | May 21 | May 29 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Mar 11 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Jan 19 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carson City, 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 89705 →Compare Carson City with another place →
Weather by month in Carson City
July is the warmest month at Carson City, NV, averaging 90°F by day and 55°F at night; December is the coldest at 45°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 59% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,618 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 74% of the 38 Nevada stations. 29% of them (770) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 687. Precipitation totals 9.3 inches a year, most in January (1.7") and least in August (0.1"); May to September bring 15% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 24 | 1.7 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Feb | 50 | 27 | 1.5 | 100% | 23 | 2 |
| Mar | 56 | 32 | 1.2 | 100% | 20 | 17 |
| Apr | 62 | 36 | 0.5 | 100% | 12 | 68 |
| May | 70 | 43 | 0.5 | 59% | 3 | 229 |
| Jun | 81 | 49 | 0.4 | 7% | <1 | 453 |
| Jul | 90 | 55 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Aug | 88 | 53 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 625 |
| Sep | 81 | 46 | 0.2 | 27% | 1 | 397 |
| Oct | 68 | 36 | 0.6 | 99% | 13 | 126 |
| Nov | 55 | 28 | 0.9 | 100% | 22 | 13 |
| Dec | 45 | 24 | 1.5 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Carson City, NV (4,761 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 southwest of Carson City and 2,573 feet higher, has a last frost 34 days later (June 7), a first frost 8 days earlier (September 28), a season 39 days shorter.
When it snows in Carson City, Nevada
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Carson City usually arrives around December 12, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Carson City, NV, 2.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 92% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 67 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 89705
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 23 – March 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 6 – April 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 89705 is 3 miles from Carson City, NV, which stands at 4,761 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 89701 (Carson City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 89705 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.