Frost dates / Arizona

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.

StationLast spring frostFirst fall frostFrost-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

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