Thatcher, AZ 85548 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Thatcher, AZ?
Around 03/25 is the usual last spring frost, about 209 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/09, about 228 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Thatcher in Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 10 weeks of growing season left in Thatcher before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/25 isn't a guarantee
03/25 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Thatcher compares
About 228 days separate Thatcher's last and first frost, putting it 10,802 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within AZ, it ranks 336 of 506.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Thatcher can differ from the 85548 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Thatcher's frost date answer different questions.