USDA zone 7a in Nevada
USDA plant hardiness zone 7a covers 22 locations across Nevada (average annual extreme minimum 0 to 5 °F): Carson, NV, Cold Springs, NV, Dayton, NV, Double Spring, NV, Dyer, NV, Empire, NV, and 16 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 14 (Mina) to June 11 (Gabbs), and growing seasons run 92–208 days (Gabbs to Sutcliffe) — 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 Fallon Station, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7a0 to 5 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 14–Jun 11avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Sep 12–Nov 11avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 92–208days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson | — | Carson City | May 4 | Oct 6 | 152 |
| Cold Springs | Verdi, Sierra Brooks | Stead | May 8 | Oct 12 | 150 |
| Dayton | Washoe Valley, Virginia | Virginia City | May 12 | Oct 17 | 155 |
| Double Spring | — | Smith 6 N | May 23 | Sep 28 | 127 |
| Dyer | — | Dyer 5s | May 9 | Oct 4 | 147 |
| Empire | Eagleville | Gerlach | Apr 28 | Oct 15 | 169 |
| Fallon Station * | — | Fallon Naas | May 6 | Oct 8 | 153 |
| Fernley | — | Fallon Exp Stn | May 12 | Oct 1 | 139 |
| Gabbs | — | Middlegate-clifford | Jun 11 | Sep 12 | 92 |
| Incline | — | Incline Village | May 17 | Oct 13 | 148 |
| Logan Creek | — | Glenbrook | Jun 5 | Oct 9 | 126 |
| McDermitt | — | Kings Rvr Vly - Orovada 26nw | May 28 | Sep 23 | 117 |
| Mina | — | Mina | Apr 14 | Oct 24 | 192 |
| Panaca | — | Cathedral Gorge Sp | May 15 | Oct 4 | 142 |
| Reno | Spanish Springs | Sparks | May 1 | Oct 10 | 160 |
| Reno | — | Reno Wfo | Apr 28 | Oct 27 | 182 |
| Schurz | Hawthorne | Hawthorne | Apr 22 | Oct 25 | 185 |
| Silver Peak | — | Silverpeak | Apr 23 | Oct 16 | 177 |
| Silver Springs | — | Lahontan Dam | Apr 18 | Oct 25 | 188 |
| Sutcliffe | — | Sutcliffe | Apr 15 | Nov 11 | 208 |
| Wadsworth | — | Wadsworth 4 N | May 9 | Oct 1 | 145 |
| Yerington | — | Yerington | Apr 29 | Oct 15 | 167 |
* Fallon Station 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 (Fallon Station, representative)
Computed from Fallon Station's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Nevadazone 7a 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 11 – Mar 25 | May 13 – May 20 | Jul 12 – Aug 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 20 – May 27 | Jul 19 – Aug 18 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 20 | Jul 2 – Jul 22 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 13 – May 20 | Jun 27 – Jul 12 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 13 – May 20 | Jul 2 – Jul 12 | Aug 9 – Aug 19 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | May 6 – May 20 | Jul 5 – Aug 4 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 13 – May 20 | Jun 12 – Jun 27 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 23 – Jun 7 | Jul 26 – Aug 10 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 19 – Jun 3 | Jul 16 – Jul 31 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 4 – May 14 | Aug 5 – Aug 15 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | Jun 14 – Jul 4 | Jul 6 – Jul 26 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | Jun 2 – Jun 22 | Jul 11 – Jul 31 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Fallon Station's own 153-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 (Fallon Station)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USW00093102. 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 | May 21 | Jun 9 | Sep 29 | Oct 11 | 127 |
| 32°F (freeze) | May 6 | May 25 | Oct 8 | Oct 21 | 153 |
| 28°F | Apr 24 | May 11 | Oct 17 | Nov 1 | 176 |
| 24°F | Apr 9 | Apr 28 | Oct 28 | Nov 11 | 201 |
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 22 locations is 2,961; Fallon Station's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,309 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 5,705 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7a in Nevada
Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 0 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, 6a, 6b, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b.
Explore zone 7a in other states at zone 7a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 7a mean in Nevada?
- Zone 7a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 0 to 5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 22 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 7a is the growing season longest?
- Sutcliffe runs the longest season on this page at about 208 days; Gabbs is shortest at about 92 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 7a?
- Using Fallon Station's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Mar 11 – Mar 25, then transplant outside about May 13 – May 20. 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 7a 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 22 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.