Frost dates in Gilbert, Arizona
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.
Short answer
The average last spring frost in Gilbert is February 1, and the average first fall frost is December 11, from NOAA's Chandler Heights station, 8 miles from the middle of Gilbert. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after February 27, and the first one by November 23. That leaves about 313 frost-free days. Gilbert is in USDA planting zone 9b.
Weather stations around Gilbert
The first row is the date most people in Gilbert go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler Heights 8 mi away, 1,425 ft | February 1 1 in 10 after February 27 | December 11 1 in 10 by November 23 | 313 days |
| E Mesa 9 mi away, 1,518 ft | February 1 1 in 10 after February 28 | December 10 1 in 10 by November 22 | 312 days |
| Tempe Asu 13 mi away, 1,167 ft | February 13 1 in 10 after March 9 | December 5 1 in 10 by November 18 | 295 days |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport 17 mi away, 1,107 ft | January 5 1 in 10 after January 22 | January 3 1 in 10 by December 18 | 363 days |
| Apache Junction 5 NE 18 mi away, 2,070 ft | February 11 1 in 10 after March 7 | December 10 1 in 10 by November 19 | 302 days |
Distances are from the middle of Gilbert as the Census Bureau maps it. 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. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 85295, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Gilbert covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.
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.
More frost dates
All of Arizona, station by station.
Other Arizona cities: Phoenix · Tucson · Mesa · Chandler · Glendale · Scottsdale · Peoria · Tempe · Surprise
Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 city population estimates and place gazetteer