USDA zone 6a in Nevada
USDA plant hardiness zone 6a covers 11 locations across Nevada (average annual extreme minimum −10 to −5 °F): Baker, NV, Crescent Valley, NV, Jackpot, NV, Kingston, NV, Lamoille, NV, McGill, NV, and 5 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 30 (Preston) to June 15 (Owyhee), and growing seasons run 86–162 days (Owyhee to Preston) — 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 Mountain, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 6a−10 to −5 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 30–Jun 15avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Sep 11–Oct 12avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 86–162days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | — | Eskdale | May 12 | Oct 1 | 140 |
| Crescent Valley | — | Beowawe | Jun 2 | Sep 17 | 105 |
| Jackpot | — | Twin Falls Sun Vly Rgnl Ap | May 9 | Oct 4 | 147 |
| Kingston | — | Smoky Valley - Carvers | May 24 | Sep 28 | 126 |
| Lamoille | — | Arthur 4nw | Jun 4 | Sep 18 | 105 |
| McGill | — | Mcgill | May 28 | Sep 24 | 119 |
| Mountain * | — | Tuscarora | Jun 4 | Sep 24 | 112 |
| Orovada | Paradise Valley | Orovada 3 W | Jun 2 | Sep 11 | 102 |
| Owyhee | Mountain | Jarbidge 7 N | Jun 15 | Sep 11 | 86 |
| Preston | — | Blue Eagle Rch - Currant 12ssw | Apr 30 | Oct 12 | 162 |
| Preston | — | Lund | Jun 5 | Sep 18 | 104 |
* Mountain 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 (Mountain, representative)
Computed from Mountain's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Nevadazone 6a 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 9 – Apr 23 | Jun 11 – Jun 18 | Aug 10 – Aug 30 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Jun 18 – Jun 25 | Aug 17 – Sep 16 | — | matures, but with little margin |
| Cucumber | Tender | May 7 – May 14 | Jun 11 – Jun 18 | Jul 31 – Aug 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Jun 11 – Jun 18 | Jul 26 – Aug 10 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Jun 11 – Jun 18 | Jul 31 – Aug 10 | Jul 26 – Aug 5 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Jun 4 – Jun 18 | Aug 3 – Sep 2 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 11 – Jun 18 | Jul 11 – Jul 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Apr 23 – May 7 | May 7 – May 21 | Jun 21 – Jul 6 | Jul 12 – Jul 27 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 17 – Jul 2 | Jul 2 – Jul 17 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 2 – Jun 12 | Jul 22 – Aug 1 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | May 14 – May 21 | Jul 13 – Aug 2 | Jun 22 – Jul 12 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 1 – Jul 21 | Jun 27 – Jul 17 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Mountain's own 112-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 11 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin, 1matures with little room to spare. The tightest fits: pepper (+8 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 (Mountain)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00268346. 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 | Jun 15 | Jul 1 | Sep 11 | Sep 25 | 88 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Jun 4 | Jun 20 | Sep 24 | Oct 8 | 112 |
| 28°F | May 18 | Jun 8 | Oct 6 | Oct 21 | 142 |
| 24°F | Apr 30 | May 22 | Oct 19 | Nov 3 | 171 |
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 11 locations is 2,361; Mountain's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 1,950 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 3,790 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6a in Nevada
Zone 6a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −10 to −5 °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, 5b, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b.
Explore zone 6a in other states at zone 6a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 6a mean in Nevada?
- Zone 6a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −10 to −5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 11 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 6a is the growing season longest?
- Preston runs the longest season on this page at about 162 days; Owyhee is shortest at about 86 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 6a?
- Using Mountain's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Apr 9 – Apr 23, then transplant outside about Jun 11 – Jun 18. 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 6a 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 11 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.