Reno, Nevada: planting zone & frost dates
Reno is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 6 and the first fall frost around Oct 21.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 19 | Oct 10 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 6 | Oct 21 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 28 | Oct 27 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station RENO WFO, NV (USC00266791), 3.2 mi (5.1 km) from the city center and 56 ft higher than the city center (+17 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 23 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Reno
Reno spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 13 ZIP codes): 7b (55%), 7a (39%), 6b (6%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Reno
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 6, first frost Oct 21). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 13 – May 27 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 20 – Jun 3 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Apr 8 – May 20 | Aug 12 – Sep 9 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 13 – Jun 17 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 13 – Jun 10 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Cucumber | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 20 – May 27 | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 15 – May 20 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Onion | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | May 20 – Jun 10 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | Aug 26 – Sep 23 |
| Kale | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Aug 12 – Sep 9 |
| Broccoli | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 13 | — | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Aug 12 – Aug 26 |
| Eggplant | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 20 – Jun 3 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | — | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Radish | — | — | Apr 1 – May 20 | Sep 9 – Oct 7 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 15 – May 27 | Aug 12 – Aug 26 |
Nearby cities in Nevada
- Sparks — zone 7a, last frost May 8, first frost Oct 5
- Las Vegas — zone 9a, last frost Feb 4, first frost Dec 4
- North Las Vegas — zone 9b, last frost Feb 11, first frost Dec 1
- Henderson — zone 9b, last frost Feb 14, first frost Nov 28
More: all Nevada cities · other zone 7b cities: New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Oklahoma City, OK, Nashville, TN, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Albuquerque, NM, Tulsa, OK
Reno gardening questions
When is the last frost in Reno, NV?
Plan around May 6. At NOAA's Reno Wfo, NV station, 3.2 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 28, and after May 19 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 10. The 90% and 10% dates are 40 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Reno, NV?
Start seeds indoors Mar 11 – Mar 25 and set transplants outside May 13 – May 27, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 168 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Reno?
About 182 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 154 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 208 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 10 and a 30% chance by Oct 21. That ranks 4th longest of 5 Nevada cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Reno?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 21): transplant broccoli Jul 29 – Aug 12; sow kale Aug 12 – Sep 9; sow lettuce Aug 12 – Sep 9; sow radishes Sep 9 – Oct 7. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 8. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Reno's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Reno was zone 7a on the 2012 map and is zone 7b on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Reno in zone 7b?
No. Zone 7b covers about 55% of the city's land; the rest is in 7a (39%), 6b (6%), measured across the city's 13 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.