Frost dates 2026–2027

Frost dates for Cottonwood, Arizona

Median (50% chance) dates of the last and first 32°F frost, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Tuzigoot, 2.8 mi away (close match).

Last spring frostMar 30
First fall frostNov 10
223 frost-free days
Last spring frostMar 301 year in 10 after Apr 21
First fall frostNov 101 year in 10 by Oct 25
Growing season223 daysbetween median 32°F dates
Hardiness zoneZone 8b15 to 20°F average extreme low

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Will it freeze in Cottonwood in the next 7 nights?

No overnight lows at or below 32°F are forecast in Cottonwood during the next 7 nights in the available NWS frost forecast.

Tonight: forecast low 45°F. Above 36°F.

NWS forecast period: Thu, Nov 5, 6:00 PM MST to Fri, Nov 6, 6:00 AM MST.

No nights at or below 36°F in the National Weather Service forecast for the next 7 nights.

Overnight lows from the National Weather Service forecast for this location. This covers the available forecast window, not the first freeze of the whole season. Frost can form above 32°F on clear, calm nights.

Frost and freeze probabilities

Freeze dates shift from year to year. Spring percentages describe the chance of a freeze after the stated date; fall percentages describe the chance of a freeze by that date. The 10% spring date is the cautious one: a later freeze happens about 1 year in 10.

These dates describe historical probabilities, not this year’s forecast or the earliest and latest possible freezes. Different weather stations or probability thresholds can produce different published dates for the same city.

Average first hard freeze in Cottonwood

The median first fall hard-freeze date (28°F) is November 20, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals at Tuzigoot. This is the 50% probability date, not a forecast for this year.

TemperatureLast spring date
90% · 50% · 10% chance of a later freeze
First fall date
10% · 50% · 90% chance of an earlier freeze
Season
36°F frost possible Mar 29 · Apr 17 · May 6 Oct 17 · Oct 31 · Nov 12 194 days
32°F freeze Mar 9 · Mar 30 · Apr 21 Oct 25 · Nov 10 · Nov 23 223 days
28°F hard freeze Feb 14 · Mar 5 · Mar 31 Nov 5 · Nov 20 · Dec 5 257 days
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00028904. How to read these probabilities.

Average high temperature by month

1991–2020 normals at Tuzigoot

Average low temperature by month

Months with lows near or below freezing carry frost risk

Where these frost dates come from

The frost dates for Cottonwood, AZ come from the nearest weather station with freeze statistics in NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals: Tuzigoot (station USC00028904, elevation 3,470 ft), 2.8 mi from Cottonwood. Local conditions (valleys, hilltops, distance to water, city heat) can shift frost dates by days or weeks. The hardiness zone is from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USDA ARS and Oregon State University PRISM). See our methodology.

Frost dates near Cottonwood

CityDistanceLast spring frostFirst fall frost
Sedona, AZ 13 mi Apr 1 Nov 17
Camp Verde, AZ 14 mi Apr 16 Oct 30
Prescott Valley, AZ 22 mi Apr 30 Oct 20
Chino Valley, AZ 24 mi Apr 27 Oct 24
Prescott, AZ 29 mi Apr 30 Oct 20
Flagstaff, AZ 37 mi Jun 4 Sep 28
Payson, AZ 52 mi Apr 29 Oct 24
Cave Creek, AZ 63 mi Feb 4 Dec 16
Peoria, AZ 69 mi Feb 5 Dec 11
Wickenburg, AZ 69 mi Mar 7 Nov 20

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Cottonwood?

On average, the last spring frost (32°F) in Cottonwood is around March 30. In about 1 year in 10 it comes after April 21, and in 9 years in 10 it comes after March 9.

When is the first frost in Cottonwood?

The first fall frost (32°F) usually arrives around November 10. There’s a 10% chance of a freeze by October 25 and a 90% chance by November 23.

Can it frost in Cottonwood after the last frost date?

Yes. Frost can form on clear, calm nights even when the air stays above 32°F. Temperatures of 36°F or lower, cold enough for frost on exposed plants, have a 50% chance of occurring after April 17.

What growing zone is Cottonwood?

Cottonwood is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8b (average annual extreme minimum temperature 15 to 20°F), based on the 2023 USDA map for ZIP code 86326. See growing zones in Arizona.

More: all Arizona frost dates · Arizona growing zones · frost vs. freeze