USDA zone 5b in Nevada
USDA plant hardiness zone 5b covers 7 locations across Nevada (average annual extreme minimum −15 to −10 °F): Carlin, NV, Eureka, NV, Jackpot, NV, McGill, NV, Montello, NV, Spring Creek, NV, and 1 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges May 28 (McGill) to June 16 (Spring Creek), and growing seasons run 89–119 days (Spring Creek to McGill) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Nevada location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Montello, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 5b−15 to −10 °F
- Last frost range
- May 28–Jun 16avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Sep 12–Sep 24avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 89–119days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlin | — | Beowawe | Jun 2 | Sep 17 | 105 |
| Eureka | — | Eureka Airport | Jun 7 | Sep 17 | 100 |
| Jackpot | — | Gibbs Rch - Jarbidge 24se | Jun 4 | Sep 15 | 101 |
| McGill | — | Mcgill | May 28 | Sep 24 | 119 |
| Montello * | — | Montello 2ne | Jun 1 | Sep 12 | 100 |
| Spring Creek | Lamoille | Jiggs 2ne | Jun 16 | Sep 13 | 89 |
| Wells | — | Wells | Jun 10 | Sep 16 | 94 |
* Montello is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Montello, representative)
Computed from Montello's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Nevadazone 5b group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | Jun 8 – Jun 15 | Aug 7 – Aug 27 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Jun 15 – Jun 22 | Aug 14 – Sep 13 | — | needs season extension (cold frame, row cover, or transplants) to mature |
| Cucumber | Tender | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 8 – Jun 15 | Jul 28 – Aug 17 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Jun 8 – Jun 15 | Jul 23 – Aug 7 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Jun 8 – Jun 15 | Jul 28 – Aug 7 | Jul 14 – Jul 24 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 31 – Aug 30 | — | matures, but with little margin |
| Basil | Very tender | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 8 – Jun 15 | Jul 8 – Jul 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Apr 20 – May 4 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 18 – Jul 3 | Jun 30 – Jul 15 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 14 – Jun 29 | Jun 20 – Jul 5 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Apr 20 – May 4 | May 30 – Jun 9 | Jul 10 – Jul 20 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | May 11 – May 18 | Jul 10 – Jul 30 | Jun 10 – Jun 30 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 28 – Jul 18 | Jun 15 – Jul 5 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Montello's own 100-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 10 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin, 1matures with little room to spare, and 1 needs season extension (starting indoors earlier, a cold frame, or row cover) to reliably reach harvest before the first fall frost. The tightest fits: pepper (-1 day margin), sweet corn (+13 day margin). A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Montello)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00265352. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | — | — | — | — | 74 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Jun 1 | Jun 20 | Sep 12 | Sep 25 | 100 |
| 28°F | May 15 | Jun 5 | Sep 21 | Oct 6 | 127 |
| 24°F | May 2 | May 19 | Oct 1 | Oct 16 | 149 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 7 locations is 2,063; Montello's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 2,157 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 4,015 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 5b in Nevada
Zone 5b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −15 to −10 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. Nevada spans 10 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Nevada locations for the full range, including zones5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b.
Explore zone 5b in other states at zone 5b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 5b mean in Nevada?
- Zone 5b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −15 to −10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 7 locations in Nevada fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Nevada's zone 5b is the growing season longest?
- McGill runs the longest season on this page at about 119 days; Spring Creek is shortest at about 89 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Nevada's zone 5b?
- Using Montello's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Apr 6 – Apr 20, then transplant outside about Jun 8 – Jun 15. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Nevada's zone 5b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 7 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.