Payson, AZ 85547 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Payson, AZ?
Around 04/29 is the usual last spring frost, about 244 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/24, about 176 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Payson in Zone 8a (10 to 15°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
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Payson before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/29 isn't a guarantee
04/29 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/13 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/20 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Payson compares
About 176 days separate Payson's last and first frost, putting it 26,391 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within AZ, it ranks 432 of 506.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Payson's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Payson can differ from the 85547 normal.