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When to plant in Nogales, AZ

USDA Zone 8b

Here are the average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and a month-by-month planting calendar for Nogales, Arizona — all computed from Nogales's nearest NOAA weather station.

Nogales enjoys a long ~242-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. Zone 8b means many perennials and even some tender shrubs overwinter in Nogales, while your frost dates still decide when annuals go out.

Station · NOGALES INTL AP · 10.7 km
Last spring frost
March 20
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 17
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
242 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for NogalesA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Nogales: last spring frost around March 20, first fall frost around November 17, about 242 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Nogales is now 6 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

NOGALES INTL AP · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Nogales’s own odds, recorded at NOGALES INTL AP.

Frost-probability curves for NogalesProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 20 and the first fall frost around November 17, giving about 242 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FApr 29Apr 13Mar 24Oct 20Nov 5Nov 20
32°FApr 13Mar 20Feb 24Oct 30Nov 17Dec 3
28°FMar 21Feb 23Jan 25Nov 11Nov 30Dec 17

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowin 9 days
Brussels Sprouts
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 23 days
Rutabaga
August 11August 25

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Nogales, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 25 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

NOGALES INTL AP
Primary
11 km · 1199 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 20
FALL
Nov 17
NOGALES 6 N
11 km · 1055 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 16
FALL
Nov 2
TUMACACORI NM
25 km · 996 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 5
FALL
Nov 10

Nogales planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Nogales, AZ?

Plan for the last spring frost in Nogales around March 20 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Nogales, AZ?

Expect Nogales's first fall frost near November 17 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Nogales in?

Nogales is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. In zone 8b, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Nogales?

There are roughly 242 frost-free days in Nogales (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around March 20 to the first fall frost near November 17.

When should I plant tomatoes in Nogales?

In Nogales, start tomato seeds indoors around January 23–February 6, then transplant seedlings outdoors around March 27 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Nogales

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Nogales’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at NOGALES INTL AP, 11 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Nogales, AZ — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00003196. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/arizona/nogales.
When to Plant in Nogales, AZ — Frost Dates & Zone 8b — BlissGarden