Patagonia, AZ 85637 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Patagonia, AZ?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/28, roughly 212 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/21, about 237 frost-free days later.
Zone 8a (10 to 15°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 Patagonia, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 12 weeks of growing season left in Patagonia before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/28 isn't a guarantee
03/28 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/21 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Patagonia compares
About 237 days separate Patagonia's last and first frost, putting it 9,140 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within AZ, it ranks 329 of 506.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Patagonia can differ from the 85637 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Patagonia's frost date answer different questions.