USDA zone 6b in Nevada
USDA plant hardiness zone 6b covers 19 locations across Nevada (average annual extreme minimum −5 to 0 °F): Austin, NV, Baker, NV, Battle Mountain, NV, Denio, NV, Denio, NV, Gabbs, NV, and 13 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 20 (Mogul) to June 7 (Kingsbury), and growing seasons run 104–184 days (Montello to Mogul) — 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 Imlay, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 6b−5 to 0 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 20–Jun 7avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Sep 17–Oct 23avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 104–184days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | — | Austin #2 | May 18 | Oct 7 | 142 |
| Baker | — | Eskdale | May 12 | Oct 1 | 140 |
| Battle Mountain | Valmy | Battle Mountain 4se | May 9 | Sep 29 | 141 |
| Denio | — | Denio | May 30 | Sep 18 | 111 |
| Denio | — | Fields | May 10 | Oct 7 | 145 |
| Gabbs | — | Gabbs 1ne | May 1 | Oct 22 | 170 |
| Golconda | — | Golconda | May 16 | Oct 1 | 134 |
| Grass Valley | Winnemucca | Winnemucca Muni Ap | May 31 | Sep 17 | 108 |
| Humboldt River Ranch | — | Rye Patch Dam | May 19 | Sep 24 | 125 |
| Imlay * | — | Imlay | May 17 | Sep 27 | 131 |
| Kingsbury | Gardnerville Ranchos, Alpine, Minden | Minden | May 30 | Sep 26 | 119 |
| Kingsbury | Kirkwood, Meyers | Dagget Pass | Jun 7 | Sep 28 | 113 |
| Mogul | — | Reno Tahoe Intl Ap | Apr 20 | Oct 23 | 184 |
| Montello | — | Grouse Creek | Jun 4 | Sep 17 | 104 |
| Mount Wilson | — | Pioche | May 2 | Oct 17 | 166 |
| Mountain | — | Tuscarora | Jun 4 | Sep 24 | 112 |
| Smith Valley | — | Smith 6 N | May 23 | Sep 28 | 127 |
| Tonopah | — | Smoky Valley - Carvers | May 24 | Sep 28 | 126 |
| Tonopah | — | Twin Spring Fallini | May 10 | Sep 30 | 141 |
* Imlay 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 (Imlay, representative)
Computed from Imlay's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Nevadazone 6b 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 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 24 – May 31 | Jul 23 – Aug 12 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 31 – Jun 7 | Jul 30 – Aug 29 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 24 – May 31 | Jul 13 – Aug 2 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 24 – May 31 | Jul 8 – Jul 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 24 – May 31 | Jul 13 – Jul 23 | Jul 29 – Aug 8 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 16 – Aug 15 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 24 – May 31 | Jun 23 – Jul 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 3 – Jun 18 | Jul 15 – Jul 30 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 30 – Jun 14 | Jul 5 – Jul 20 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 15 – May 25 | Jul 25 – Aug 4 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 26 – May 3 | Jun 25 – Jul 15 | Jun 25 – Jul 15 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 13 – Jul 3 | Jun 30 – Jul 20 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Imlay's own 131-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable 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 (Imlay)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00263957. 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 1 | Jun 17 | Sep 16 | Sep 30 | 105 |
| 32°F (freeze) | May 17 | Jun 8 | Sep 27 | Oct 9 | 131 |
| 28°F | May 3 | May 27 | Oct 6 | Oct 21 | 156 |
| 24°F | Apr 21 | May 12 | Oct 17 | Nov 1 | 178 |
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 19 locations is 2,702; Imlay's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 2,730 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 4,854 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6b in Nevada
Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −5 to 0 °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, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b.
Explore zone 6b in other states at zone 6b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 6b mean in Nevada?
- Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −5 to 0 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 19 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 6b is the growing season longest?
- Mogul runs the longest season on this page at about 184 days; Montello is shortest at about 104 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 6b?
- Using Imlay's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Mar 22 – Apr 5, then transplant outside about May 24 – May 31. 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 6b 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 19 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.