Melba, ID 83650 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Melba, ID, ZIP 83650
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/12, roughly 227 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/26, about 193 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Melba in Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 7a around Melba has about 8 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 04/12 isn't a guarantee
04/12 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/23 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Melba compares
Melba's growing season runs about 193 days, ranking 20,031 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within ID, it ranks 4 of 320.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Melba can differ from the 83650 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7a and Melba's frost date answer different questions.