NOAA station USW00024128 · Nevada
Frost Dates for Winnemucca, NV
NOAA weather station Winnemucca Municipal Airport (USW00024128), Nevada · elevation 4296 ft (1309 m) · hardiness zone 6a*
- Lower-risk planting dateafter June 19only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
- Typical last frostMay 3150% chance of a frost after it
- Typical first fall frostSeptember 1750% chance of a frost before it
- Frost-free season108 daystypical year, 32°F
- Hardiness zone6acalculated*
The year at a glance
Frost dates (32°F)
| Chance | Last frost in spring after | First frost in fall before |
|---|---|---|
| 10% (unlikely) | June 19 | September 3 |
| 50% (typical) | May 31 | September 17 |
| 90% (likely) | May 10 | October 1 |
- Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
- 108 days
- Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
- May 13
- Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
- September 29
The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)
Typical last frost June 1 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost September 19 (2 days later). Frost-free season 110 days.
A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.
Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).
How the chance of frost changes with the date
What actually happened in recent years
| Year | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | May 20 | September 20 |
| 2022 | June 20 | September 22 |
| 2023 | June 20 | September 23 |
| 2024 | May 26 | October 1 |
| 2025 | June 22 | October 5 |
| 2026 | May 20 | season not over yet |
What these dates mean
The 108 days between the 50% dates in Winnemucca—May 31 and September 17—define the period when a 32 °F frost is as likely as not. For a gardener this median point signals that frost risk is balanced, and planting or harvesting decisions should consider the probabilities that lie on either side of those dates.
In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is June 19, when there is only a 10 % chance of a frost later than that day; planting before May 10 carries a 90 % chance of a frost and is a gamble. In fall the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is September 3, with only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier, while aiming for October 1 involves a 90 % chance of a frost and is risky.
A hard frost at 28 °F—its 50% dates are May 13 and September 29—can damage plants that survive a light frost, making it a more serious threat.
How to read the probabilities
The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.
- Spring: "10% after June 19" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
- Fall: "10% before September 3" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
- 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
- A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.
Nearby weather stations
- Imlay, NV 25 mi (40 km)
- Orovada, NV 46 mi (74 km)
- Battle Mountain, NV 52 mi (84 km)
- Lovelock, NV 62 mi (99 km)
- Beowawe, NV 73 mi (118 km)
Sources
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00024128
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University — 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone GIS datasets
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 2006–2020 (15-year normals), station USW00024128
- NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network – Daily (GHCN-Daily), observed daily minimum temperature, retrieved 2026-10-08
* Hardiness zone 6a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.
Station coordinates: 40.9017, -117.8081.