Sparks, Nevada: planting zone & frost dates
Sparks is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 8 and the first fall frost around Oct 5.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 25 | Sep 29 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 8 | Oct 5 |
| Median (50%) | May 1 | Oct 10 |
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 SPARKS, NV (USC00267697), 1.6 mi (2.6 km) from the city center and 184 ft lower than the city center (-56 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 28 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Sparks
Sparks spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 4 ZIP codes): 7a (77%), 7b (23%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Sparks
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 8, first frost Oct 5). 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 13 – Mar 27 | May 15 – May 29 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 22 – Jun 5 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Apr 24 – May 15 | Apr 10 – May 22 | Jul 27 – Aug 24 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 15 – Jun 19 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 15 – Jun 12 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 29 | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 22 – May 29 | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 17 – May 22 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 |
| Onion | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 22 – Jun 5 | May 22 – Jun 12 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | Aug 10 – Sep 7 |
| Kale | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 10 – May 1 | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jul 27 – Aug 24 |
| Broccoli | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 15 | — | Jul 13 – Jul 27 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Eggplant | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 22 – Jun 5 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | — | Jul 13 – Jul 27 |
| Radish | — | — | Apr 3 – May 22 | Aug 24 – Sep 21 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 17 – May 29 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
Nearby cities in Nevada
- Reno — zone 7b, last frost May 6, first frost Oct 21
- 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 7a cities: Louisville, KY, Wichita, KS, Cleveland, OH, Lexington, KY, St. Louis, MO, Boise, ID, Amarillo, TX, Providence, RI
Sparks gardening questions
When is the last frost in Sparks, NV?
Plan around May 8. At NOAA's Sparks, NV station, 1.6 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 May 1, and after May 25 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 16. The 90% and 10% dates are 38 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Sparks, NV?
Start seeds indoors Mar 13 – Mar 27 and set transplants outside May 15 – May 29, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 150 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 Sparks?
About 160 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 135 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 178 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Sep 29 and a 30% chance by Oct 5. That is the shortest of the 5 Nevada cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Sparks?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 5): transplant broccoli Jul 13 – Jul 27; sow kale Jul 27 – Aug 24; sow lettuce Jul 27 – Aug 24; sow radishes Aug 24 – Sep 21. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 23. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Sparks's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
No. Going by the zone that covers most of the city's land, Sparks is zone 7a on both the 2012 and the 2023 USDA maps (PRISM/OSU ZIP listings). About 42% of U.S. ZIP codes kept their half-zone in 2023. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Sparks in zone 7a?
No. Zone 7a covers about 77% of the city's land; the rest is in 7b (23%), measured across the city's 4 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.