Benson, AZ 85627 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Benson, AZ?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/12, roughly 227 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/01, about 202 frost-free days later.
Zone 8b (15 to 20°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Benson, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 9 weeks of growing season left in Benson before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/12 isn't a guarantee
04/12 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/26 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/29 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Benson compares
Benson's growing season runs about 202 days, ranking 17,225 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AZ, it ranks 382 of 506.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Benson's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Benson can differ from the 85627 normal.