Frost dates for Scottsdale, AZ
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
January 27
typical year
Safe to plant
March 5
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 21
typical year
Growing season
330 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 16 – Jan 6 | Oct 26 – Nov 9 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 30 – Jan 20 | Oct 26 – Nov 9 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 30 – Feb 10 | Nov 9 – 23 |
| Onions | – | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 6 – 20 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 6 – 27 | Sep 28 – Oct 12 |
| Beets | – | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Kale | Nov 18 – Dec 2 | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Broccoli | Nov 18 – Dec 2 | Jan 13 – 27 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Cabbage | Nov 4 – 18 | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 9 – 30 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 8 – 22 | Mar 5 – 19 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 1 – 15 | Mar 12 – 26 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 5 – 26 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 5 – Apr 2 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 5 – 26 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 5 – Oct 12 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 5 – Apr 2 | – |
| Basil | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 12 – 19 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | March 5 | January 27 | December 23 |
| Fall frost before | November 28 | December 21 | January 24 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around January 6 (February 8 in a late year), and the first one in fall around January 1.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Scottsdale
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station PINNACLE PEAK, AZ US (USC00026603), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 5 miles:
85255
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.