Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated Oct 29, 2026

Planting zone for Bullhead City, AZ

Bullhead City, AZ is in USDA zones 9b to 10a across its 4 ZIP codes.

Bullhead City on the zone map

Outlined: its 2 ZIP code areas · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zones9b–10a25 to 35 °F

ZIP codes4

Last frostrare

First frostrare

Growing seasonall year

9b 2 ZIPs 10a 2 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

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Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

A 32 °F frost doesn't happen here in most winters. At the nearest station (NOAA station Bullhead City, AZ, elevation 532 ft) the median growing season is 356 days. When frost does come, it is a midwinter night or two; cover tender plants when a freeze is forecast.

Frost data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 86430 came on Jan 18 — 6 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 24).

average
Jan 242026
Jan 18

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 9b in Arizona

499 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Arizona, and rated by the USDA to survive 25 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 9b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Bullhead City, AZ.

Soil in Bullhead City, AZ

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 86430 is Carrizo — extremely gravelly loamy sand, excessively drained.

TextureExtremely gravelly loamy sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding

pH8.0alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0

DrainageExcessively drainednatural drainage class

Organic matter0.25%low — add compost

Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast

Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Carrizo-Riverwash complex, 3 to 8 percent slopes MLRA 30.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 86430; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Bullhead City, AZ

Summer high111 °Faverage high, July

Winter low44 °Faverage low, December

Hot days186days a year at 90 °F or more

Freezing nights2nights a year at 32 °F or less

Growing degree days8,922base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat

Longest day14 h 32 mindaylight on June 21

Shortest day9 h 47 mindaylight on December 21

Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully

Precipitation5.4 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

Precipitation by month inches

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Bullhead City, AZ (within 1 mile); precipitation: Bullhead City, AZ (within 1 mile). Daylight is calculated from latitude.