Reno, Nevada: freeze dates & growing season

Three different things get called “Reno” here, so this page is explicit about all three: the metro label (Reno), the anchor geography (Census ZCTA 89501, a downtown ZIP-code area), and the climate record (the NOAA station below). Windows are calculated from the station — not from your street address.

Climate basis: NOAA station Reno Wfo, NV (USC00266791), 3 mi (5 km) from the ZCTA 89501 centroid, elevation 4987 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals.

Last spring freezeApril 281-in-10 after May 19

First fall freezeOctober 271-in-10 before Oct 10

Frost-free season≈ 182 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Apr 10 – Nov 8kills even hardy greens

USDA zone7b5 to 10°F winter low — not frost timing

The year

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to May 19

The Reno year: hatched areas are the freeze-likely seasons in 1991–2020 normals.

What that means in practice

Tomatoes: plant May 5 – May 19
Peas: plant March 17 – March 31
Garlic: plant cloves November 3 – November 10

All 79 crops in Reno

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

Check a specific ZIP instead

Metro climates vary — elevation, water, and urban heat shift freeze dates by days to weeks. Look up your exact ZIP:

Nearby reviewed metros

Sacramento, CA · Boise, ID · Salt Lake City, UT · Portland, OR · Seattle, WA