Tucson, AZ 85747 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Tucson, AZ?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 01/26, about 151 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/16, about 326 frost-free days later.
Zone 9a (20 to 25°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 Tucson, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 16 weeks of growing season left in Tucson before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 01/26 isn't a guarantee
01/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/25 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 12/24 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Tucson compares
Tucson's growing season runs about 326 days, ranking 3,208 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AZ, it ranks 196 of 506.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Tucson can differ from the 85747 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and Tucson's frost date answer different questions.