Frost dates Nevada Reno

Frost dates in Reno, Nevada

Last spring frost Apr 28 First fall frost Oct 27 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Reno is Apr 28 and the average first fall frost is Oct 27, measured at RENO WFO, about 3 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostApr 2832°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostOct 2732°F, 50% probability
Days between them182average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Apr 9Nov 10
50%Apr 28Oct 27
10%May 19Oct 10

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Apr 28, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after May 19. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Oct 10.

Measured at: RENO WFO, NV (NOAA station USC00266791), about 3 miles away at 4,987 ft, 23 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • RENO TAHOE INTL AP, NV (NOAA station USW00023185), about 4 miles away at 4,410 ft, 28 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 20, first fall frost Oct 23
  • SPARKS, NV (NOAA station USC00267697), about 5 miles away at 4,357 ft, 28 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost May 1, first fall frost Oct 10

Seed-starting schedule for Reno, NV

Counted from a last frost date of Apr 28 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Jan 2014 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekJan 20 to Feb 3
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionJan 20 to Feb 3
  2. Week of Jan 2713 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyJan 27 to Feb 3
  3. Week of Feb 312 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryFeb 3 to Feb 17
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachFeb 3 to Feb 17
  4. Week of Feb 1710 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliFeb 17 to Mar 3
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutFeb 17 to Mar 3
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageFeb 17 to Mar 3
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleFeb 17 to Mar 3
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiFeb 17 to Mar 3
  5. Week of Feb 249 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceFeb 24 to Mar 3
  6. Week of Mar 38 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerMar 3 to Mar 17
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantMar 3 to Mar 17
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperMar 3 to Mar 17
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardMar 3 to Mar 17
  7. Week of Mar 107 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoMar 10 to Mar 24
  8. Week of Mar 176 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilMar 17 to Mar 31
    • Set transplants outSpinachMar 17 to Apr 7
  9. Week of Mar 314 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishMar 31 to Apr 14
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Mar 31
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipMar 31 to Apr 14
    • Set transplants outBroccoliMar 31 to Apr 14
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutMar 31 to Apr 14
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Mar 31
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Mar 31
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Mar 31
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Mar 31
    • Set transplants outLettuceMar 31 to Apr 7
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Mar 31
  10. Week of Apr 73 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberApr 7 to Apr 14
    • Set transplants outParsleyApr 7 to Apr 14
  11. Week of Apr 142 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonApr 14 to Apr 21
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinApr 14 to Apr 21
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashApr 14 to Apr 21
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashApr 14 to Apr 21
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniApr 14 to Apr 21
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoApr 14 to Apr 21
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Apr 14
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Apr 14
  12. Week of Apr 28Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Apr 28
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Apr 28
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Apr 28
  13. Week of May 51 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoMay 5 to May 12
    • Set transplants outCucumberMay 5 to May 12
    • Set transplants outTomatoMay 5 to May 12
  14. Week of May 122 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom May 12
    • Set transplants outEggplantMay 12 to May 19
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom May 12
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom May 12
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom May 12
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom May 12
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom May 12
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom May 12

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

More in Nevada

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

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