Frost dates in Mesa, 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 Mesa is February 1, and the average first fall frost is December 10, from NOAA's E Mesa station, 4 miles from the middle of Mesa. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after February 28, and the first one by November 22. That leaves about 312 frost-free days. Mesa is in USDA planting zone 9b.

Weather stations around Mesa

The first row is the date most people in Mesa go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.

Station	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Frost-free
E Mesa 4 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 12 mi away, 1,167 ft	February 13 1 in 10 after March 9	December 5 1 in 10 by November 18	295 days
Chandler Heights 14 mi away, 1,425 ft	February 1 1 in 10 after February 27	December 11 1 in 10 by November 23	313 days
Fountain Hills 14 mi away, 1,580 ft	January 6 1 in 10 after February 11	December 28 1 in 10 by December 4	356 days
Apache Junction 5 NE 14 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 Mesa 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 85206, at the middle of the city.

Your exact ZIP code

Mesa 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.

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