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When to plant in Safford, AZ

USDA Zone 8b

Safford, Arizona frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.

In zone 8b, Safford supports a wide range of perennials year-round; the frost dates above are what set your annual vegetable timing.

Station · SAFFORD AG CTR · 2.6 km
Last spring frost
March 25
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 9
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
229 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for SaffordA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Safford: last spring frost around March 25, first fall frost around November 9, about 229 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Safford is now 5 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

SAFFORD AG CTR · 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 Safford’s own odds, recorded at SAFFORD AG CTR.

Frost-probability curves for SaffordProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 25 and the first fall frost around November 9, giving about 229 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°FMay 2Apr 12Mar 25Oct 14Oct 30Nov 13
32°FApr 14Mar 25Mar 5Oct 23Nov 9Nov 25
28°FMar 23Mar 3Feb 8Nov 3Nov 22Dec 6

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 1 days
Brussels Sprouts
July 20August 3
Fall sowin 15 days
Rutabaga
August 3August 17

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 Safford, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 33 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.

SAFFORD AG CTR
Primary
3 km · 900 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 25
FALL
Nov 9
SAFFORD MUNI AP
6 km · 968 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 8
FALL
Nov 20
FT THOMAS 2 SW
33 km · 864 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 1
FALL
Nov 6

Safford planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Safford, AZ?

Safford's average last spring frost falls near March 25 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.

When is the first fall frost in Safford, AZ?

In Safford, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around November 9 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Safford in?

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

How long is the growing season in Safford?

Safford has about 229 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (March 25) and first fall frost (November 9).

When should I plant tomatoes in Safford?

For Safford, sow tomatoes indoors about January 28–February 11 and move the seedlings out around April 1, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Safford

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at SAFFORD AG CTR, 3 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 Safford, AZ — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00027390. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/arizona/safford.
When to Plant in Safford, AZ — Frost Dates & Zone 8b — BlissGarden