South Tucson, AZ 85714 Frost Dates
When can you plant in South Tucson, AZ?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 02/05, roughly 161 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/09, about 307 frost-free days later.
South Tucson sits in USDA Zone 9b (25 to 30°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 15 weeks of growing season left in South Tucson 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
02/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/04 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How South Tucson compares
South Tucson's growing season runs about 307 days, ranking 3,677 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AZ, it ranks 238 of 506.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in South Tucson can differ from the 85714 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9b and South Tucson's frost date answer different questions.