Frost dates for Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 97 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by January 24 and half their first by December 10.
Frost dates for
Las Vegas, Nevada
Last spring frost
January 24
Not every winter has one: about 97 years in 100 have a freezing night here. In those years, half have their last frost by this date, and 1 in 10 still have one after February 19.
First fall frost
December 10
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by November 24.
Growing season
323 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 289.
Hardiness zone
9a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 20°F to 25°F. It was 9a on the 2012 map too. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 1 in 8b, 9 in 9a and 4 in 9b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Las Vegas Air Terminal (4 miles away, at 2,200 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of January 24 and a typical first frost of December 10. NOAA's Desert NWR (15 miles away, at 2,910 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of March 22 and a typical first frost of November 7. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from January 24 to March 22 and the typical first frost from November 7 to December 10, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Las Vegas
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | December 27 | January 24 | February 19 |
| First frost in fall | November 24 | December 10 | December 29 |
The frost-free season between them runs 323 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 351 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 289 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 58 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on January 2 and the first on December 25. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on February 16 and first on November 29. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
Planting calendar for Las Vegas
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
Frost doesn't come every year here: about 97 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 10 to 24 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 10 to 24 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 24 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| February | ||
| February 7 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| February 7 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 15 to 29 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 2 |
| August | ||
| August 4 to 18 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 22 |
| September | ||
| September 13 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 17 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 18 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 22 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 23 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 27 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 7 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 17 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 27 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 8 to December 6 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| November 22 to December 20 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| November 24 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| December | ||
| December 6 to 27 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| December 13 to 27 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| December 20 to January 3 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December 27 to January 10 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| December 27 to January 10 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 26 days later. That plans around February 19, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Las Vegas Air Terminal (station USW00053123), 4 miles from the center of Las Vegas. It sits 160 feet lower, at 2,200 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for North Las Vegas.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 15 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 89031, 89032, 89084, 89085, 89106, 89107, 89108, 89128, 89129, 89130, 89131, 89135, 89138, 89146, 89149. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Henderson, Nevada: frost not every year (25 miles away)
- St. George, Utah: last frost around March 14, first frost around November 10 (110 miles away)
See frost dates across Nevada, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.