Frost dates in Arizona

NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Your own yard can run a little either side.

Short answer

Across 22 NOAA weather stations in Arizona, the average last spring frost runs from January 4 at Yuma Proving Ground to June 17 at Grand Canyon NP Airport. The first fall frost comes as early as September 24 at Grand Canyon NP Airport and as late as January 3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport. At 1 of Arizona's 23 NOAA weather stations, frost is too rare to put a date on. Planting zones near these stations run from 6a to 10a.

Arizona cities

Frost dates in Phoenix: last frost January 8, first frost December 25
Frost dates in Tucson: last frost February 5, first frost December 9
Frost dates in Mesa: last frost February 1, first frost December 10
Frost dates in Gilbert: last frost February 1, first frost December 11
Frost dates in Chandler: last frost February 13, first frost December 5
Frost dates in Glendale: last frost January 20, first frost December 15
Frost dates in Scottsdale: last frost January 6, first frost December 26
Frost dates in Peoria: last frost February 5, first frost December 11
Frost dates in Tempe: last frost January 5, first frost January 3
Frost dates in Surprise: last frost February 5, first frost December 11

Find yours by ZIP code

The table below is by weather station. For the station nearest you, and your planting zone, type your ZIP code.

Arizona frost dates by weather station

Station	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Frost-free	Zone nearby
Douglas Bisbee Inl Airport 4,105 ft	April 11 1 in 10 after April 27	November 2 1 in 10 by October 21	205 days	8a
Elgin 5 S 4,811 ft	April 18 1 in 10 after May 3	November 1 1 in 10 by October 18	197 days	8a
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport 7,003 ft	June 4 1 in 10 after June 19	September 28 1 in 10 by September 16	116 days	6a
Ft Huachuca Pioneer Airfield 4,768 ft	March 16 1 in 10 after April 12	November 21 1 in 10 by November 3	250 days	8b
Grand Canyon NP Airport 6,606 ft	June 17 1 in 10 after July 1	September 24 1 in 10 by September 12	99 days	–
Kingman Mohave Co Airport 3,420 ft	April 2 1 in 10 after April 21	November 11 1 in 10 by October 26	223 days	–
Nogales Intl Airport 3,932 ft	March 20 1 in 10 after April 13	November 17 1 in 10 by October 30	242 days	8b
Page Muni Airport 4,310 ft	March 7 1 in 10 after March 31	November 15 1 in 10 by November 2	253 days	–
Payson 4,850 ft	April 29 1 in 10 after May 20	October 24 1 in 10 by October 11	178 days	8b
Phoenix Deer Valley Muni Airport 1,455 ft	January 8 1 in 10 after February 12	December 25 1 in 10 by December 5	351 days	10a
Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport 1,107 ft	January 5 1 in 10 after January 22	January 3 1 in 10 by December 18	363 days	10a
Prescott Love Fld 5,042 ft	April 20 1 in 10 after May 7	October 27 1 in 10 by October 13	190 days	7b
Safford Muni Airport 3,176 ft	March 8 1 in 10 after March 27	November 20 1 in 10 by November 4	257 days	8b
Scottsdale Muni Airport 1,473 ft	January 6 1 in 10 after February 7	December 26 1 in 10 by December 4	354 days	10a
St Johns Industrial Airport 5,733 ft	May 3 1 in 10 after May 19	October 10 1 in 10 by September 30	160 days	6b
Tucson 11 W 2,733 ft	February 8 1 in 10 after March 8	December 10 1 in 10 by November 22	305 days	9b
Tucson Intl Airport 2,549 ft	February 5 1 in 10 after March 2	December 9 1 in 10 by November 21	307 days	9b
Williams 35 NNW 5,990 ft	May 9 1 in 10 after May 27	October 19 1 in 10 by October 3	163 days	–
Window Rock Airport 6,739 ft	May 29 1 in 10 after June 10	September 28 1 in 10 by September 16	122 days	6b
Winslow Muni Airport 4,886 ft	April 27 1 in 10 after May 14	October 18 1 in 10 by October 5	174 days	–
Yuma 27 ENE 620 ft	January 11 1 in 10 after February 14	December 21 1 in 10 by December 1	344 days	–
Yuma MCAS 213 ft	Frost too rare to date (32 °F in under 1 year in 10)			10a
Yuma Proving Ground 324 ft	January 4 1 in 10 after February 9	December 25 1 in 10 by December 3	355 days	10a

The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. Stations are NOAA's main weather stations, mostly airports. “Zone nearby” is the USDA 2023 zone of the nearest ZIP code within 10 miles. NOAA counts the frost season from August to July, so in the warmest places the “first fall” freeze lands after New Year.

How these dates work

Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.

The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.

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