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

Planting zone for 85017 — Phoenix, AZ

ZIP code 85017 (Phoenix, Maricopa County) is in USDA zone 9b: the coldest winter night averages 25 to 30 °F.

Where ZIP 85017 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · 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.

Zone9b25 to 30 °F
Coldest night−3.9 to −1.1 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone9b

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 9b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Phoenix, AZ…

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 Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport, AZ — 9 miles away, elevation 1,106 ft) the median growing season is 365 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 85017 came on Jan 19 — 4 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 23).

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).

Soil in Phoenix, AZ

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 85017 is Avondale — clay loam, well drained.

TextureClay loamholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up
pH8.2alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter1.5%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly
Farmland classPrime farmland if irrigatedUSDA classification

Map unit: Avondale clay loam.

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 85017; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Phoenix, AZ

Summer high107 °Faverage high, July
Winter low45 °Faverage low, December
Hot days173days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights1nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days9,390base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 23 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 56 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation8.7 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°110°120°32 °FJanuary: average high 68 °F, low 46 °F 68°46° JanFebruary: average high 71 °F, low 49 °F 71°49° FebMarch: average high 78 °F, low 55 °F 78°55° MarApril: average high 86 °F, low 61 °F 86°61° AprMay: average high 95 °F, low 70 °F 95°70° MayJune: average high 104 °F, low 79 °F 104°79° JunJuly: average high 107 °F, low 85 °F 107°85° JulAugust: average high 105 °F, low 84 °F 105°84° AugSeptember: average high 100 °F, low 78 °F 100°78° SepOctober: average high 89 °F, low 66 °F 89°66° OctNovember: average high 77 °F, low 54 °F 77°54° NovDecember: average high 66 °F, low 45 °F 66°45° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″January: 1.09 in precipitation 1.1 JanFebruary: 1.23 in precipitation 1.2 FebMarch: 1.02 in precipitation 1.0 MarApril: 0.36 in precipitation 0.4 AprMay: 0.18 in precipitation 0.2 MayJune: 0.05 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.81 in precipitation 0.8 JulAugust: 1.00 in precipitation 1.0 AugSeptember: 0.77 in precipitation 0.8 SepOctober: 0.58 in precipitation 0.6 OctNovember: 0.68 in precipitation 0.7 NovDecember: 0.91 in precipitation 0.9 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport, AZ (9 mi away); precipitation: Phoenix 3.8 Nnw, AZ (2 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

2 of the 8 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

850199b
Phoenix, AZ · 1 mi
850159b
Phoenix, AZ · 1 mi
850139b
Phoenix, AZ · 2 mi
850319b
Phoenix, AZ · 3 mi
8501210a
Phoenix, AZ · 3 mi
850519b
Phoenix, AZ · 3 mi
853019b
Glendale, AZ · 4 mi
8501410a
Phoenix, AZ · 4 mi

All 74 ZIP codes in Phoenix → · Arizona planting zones →

Questions about 85017

What planting zone is ZIP code 85017?

ZIP code 85017 (Phoenix, AZ) is in USDA hardiness zone 9b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 25 to 30 °F (−3.9 to −1.1 °C).

How much rain and snow does 85017 get?

About 8.7 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Phoenix 3.8 Nnw station).

How hot do summers get in Phoenix, AZ?

The average high peaks at 107 °F in July, with about 173 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 85017 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Avondale at the center of ZIP 85017: clay loam, well drained, pH about 8.2 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Phoenix, AZ in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 85017 came on Jan 19 in 2026, 4 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 23), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Phoenix, AZ?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 85017 is 14 h 23 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.