Elko, NV 89802 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Elko, NV?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 06/07, roughly 283 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/12, about 98 frost-free days later.
Elko sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 2 weeks of growing season left in Elko 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
06/07 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/22 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Elko compares
Elko's growing season runs about 98 days, ranking 39,750 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NV, it ranks 212 of 222.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Elko can differ from the 89802 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Elko's frost date answer different questions.