USDA zone 9b in Nevada
USDA plant hardiness zone 9b covers 7 locations across Nevada (average annual extreme minimum 25 to 30 °F): Henderson, NV, Las Vegas, NV, Las Vegas, NV, Las Vegas, NV, Moapa Valley, NV, Paradise, NV, and 1 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges January 20 (Las Vegas) to March 7 (Searchlight), and growing seasons run 266–333 days (Searchlight to Las Vegas) — 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 Las Vegas, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 9b25 to 30 °F
- Last frost range
- Jan 20–Mar 7avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Nov 29–Dec 17avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 266–333days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson | — | Alan Bible Visitor Ctr | Jan 21 | Dec 17 | 328 |
| Las Vegas | North Las Vegas | N Las Vegas | Feb 1 | Dec 8 | 311 |
| Las Vegas * | — | Las Vegas Air Terminal | Jan 24 | Dec 10 | 323 |
| Las Vegas | Henderson, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Whitney, Winchester | Las Vegas Mccarran Ap | Jan 20 | Dec 15 | 333 |
| Moapa Valley | — | Valley Of Fire Sp | Jan 23 | Dec 13 | 327 |
| Paradise | — | Las Vegas Wfo | Feb 4 | Dec 5 | 302 |
| Searchlight | — | Searchlight | Mar 7 | Nov 29 | 266 |
* Las Vegas 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 (Las Vegas, representative)
Computed from Las Vegas's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Nevadazone 9b 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 | Jan 1 | Jan 31 – Feb 7 | Apr 1 – Apr 21 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 1 | Feb 7 – Feb 14 | Apr 8 – May 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Jan 1 – Jan 3 | Jan 31 – Feb 7 | Mar 22 – Apr 11 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Jan 31 – Feb 7 | Mar 17 – Apr 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Jan 31 – Feb 7 | Mar 22 – Apr 1 | Oct 11 – Oct 21 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Jan 24 – Feb 7 | Mar 25 – Apr 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Jan 1 | Jan 31 – Feb 7 | Mar 2 – Mar 17 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Jan 1 | Jan 1 – Jan 10 | Feb 15 – Mar 2 | Sep 27 – Oct 12 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Jan 1 | Feb 25 – Mar 12 | Sep 17 – Oct 2 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Jan 1 | Feb 10 – Feb 20 | Oct 7 – Oct 17 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Jan 3 – Jan 10 | Mar 4 – Mar 24 | Sep 7 – Sep 27 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Jan 1 | Jan 1 – Jan 10 | Feb 25 – Mar 17 | Sep 12 – Oct 2 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Las Vegas's own 323-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 (Las Vegas)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USW00053123. 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 | Feb 16 | Mar 9 | Nov 29 | Dec 14 | 284 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Jan 24 | Feb 19 | Dec 10 | Dec 29 | 323 |
| 28°F | Jan 2 | Feb 3 | Dec 25 | Jan 22 | 360 |
| 24°F | — | — | — | — | 365 |
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 7,468; Las Vegas's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 7,167 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 10,554 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 9b in Nevada
Zone 9b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 25 to 30 °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, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a.
Explore zone 9b in other states at zone 9b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 9b mean in Nevada?
- Zone 9b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 25 to 30 °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 9b is the growing season longest?
- Las Vegas runs the longest season on this page at about 333 days; Searchlight is shortest at about 266 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 9b?
- Using Las Vegas's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Jan 1, then transplant outside about Jan 31 – Feb 7. 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 9b 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.