Frost dates in Reno, Nevada
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 Reno is April 20, and the average first fall frost is October 23, from NOAA's Reno Tahoe Intl Airport station, 6 miles from the middle of Reno. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after May 5, and the first one by October 11. That leaves about 186 frost-free days. Reno is in USDA planting zone 7b.
Weather stations around Reno
The first row is the date most people in Reno go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reno Tahoe Intl Airport 6 mi away, 4,410 ft | April 20 1 in 10 after May 5 | October 23 1 in 10 by October 11 | 186 days |
| Reno Wfo 3 mi away, 4,987 ft | April 28 1 in 10 after May 19 | October 27 1 in 10 by October 10 | 182 days |
| Stead 6 mi away, 5,101 ft | May 8 1 in 10 after June 2 | October 12 1 in 10 by September 28 | 157 days |
| Sparks 6 mi away, 4,357 ft | May 1 1 in 10 after May 25 | October 10 1 in 10 by September 29 | 162 days |
| Verdi 2W 10 mi away, 5,429 ft | May 9 1 in 10 after June 2 | October 17 1 in 10 by October 1 | 161 days |
Distances are from the middle of Reno 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 89503, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Reno 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 Nevada, station by station.
Other Nevada cities: Las Vegas · Henderson · North Las Vegas
Nearby: Roseville, CA · Sacramento, CA · Elk Grove, CA
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