Phoenix, AZ 85003 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Phoenix, AZ?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 01/05, about 130 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 01/03, about 365 frost-free days later.
Phoenix sits in USDA Zone 10a (30 to 35°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 18 weeks of growing season left in Phoenix before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
01/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/22 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 12/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Phoenix compares
Phoenix's growing season runs about 365 days, ranking 6 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AZ, it ranks 1 of 506.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Phoenix's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Phoenix can differ from the 85003 normal.