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

Planting zone for 86436 — Topock, AZ

ZIP code 86436 (Topock, Mohave County) is in USDA zone 9b: the coldest winter night averages 25 to 30 °F.

Where ZIP 86436 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 Topock, 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 Needles Airport, CA — 12 miles away, elevation 889 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 86436 came on Jan 18 — 5 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).

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.

Trees 26

Arizona cypress50 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −23 °FArizona madrone30 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −4 °FArizona sycamore80 ft · blooms early spring · high shade tolerance · to −8 °FArizona walnut50 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −33 °Fblack locust60 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to −37 °Fblue spruce100 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Shrubs 113

alderleaf mountain mahogany15 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −41 °FAmerican plum24 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican tarwort3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −23 °Fantelope bitterbrush6 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −36 °FApache plume6 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −23 °Fbig sagebrush4 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −43 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 199

alkali buttercup1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine bistort1 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine mountainsorrel1 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −43 °FAmerican alpine speedwell1 ft · blooms summer · medium shade tolerance · to −28 °FAmerican bistort1.5 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican century plant6 ft · blooms indeterminate · high shade tolerance · to 12 °F

Grasses 152

alkali cordgrass3 ft · blooms late summer · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Falkali sacaton3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine timothy1.4 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −43 °Fanalogue sedge1.5 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °FArizona cottontop4 ft · blooms late summer · high shade tolerance · to −13 °FArizona fescue2 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −23 °F

Vines 1

western white clematis1 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °F

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 Topock, AZ.

Soil in Topock, AZ

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 86436 is Carrizo family — very gravelly loamy sand, excessively drained.

TextureVery gravelly loamy sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH7.9alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageExcessively drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter0.75%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Carrizo family very gravelly loamy sand, 1 to 3 percent slopes.

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 86436; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Topock, AZ

Summer high111 °Faverage high, July
Winter low45 °Faverage low, December
Hot days177days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights2nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days9,615base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 29 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 49 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation4.3 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 66 °F, low 46 °F 66°46° JanFebruary: average high 71 °F, low 49 °F 71°49° FebMarch: average high 79 °F, low 54 °F 79°54° MarApril: average high 87 °F, low 61 °F 87°61° AprMay: average high 96 °F, low 70 °F 96°70° MayJune: average high 106 °F, low 80 °F 106°80° JunJuly: average high 111 °F, low 87 °F 111°87° JulAugust: average high 109 °F, low 85 °F 109°85° AugSeptember: average high 103 °F, low 77 °F 103°77° SepOctober: average high 90 °F, low 65 °F 90°65° OctNovember: average high 75 °F, low 53 °F 75°53° NovDecember: average high 65 °F, low 45 °F 65°45° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″January: 0.73 in precipitation 0.7 JanFebruary: 0.79 in precipitation 0.8 FebMarch: 0.51 in precipitation 0.5 MarApril: 0.18 in precipitation 0.2 AprMay: 0.07 in precipitation 0.1 MayJune: 0.04 in precipitation 0.0 JunJuly: 0.27 in precipitation 0.3 JulAugust: 0.39 in precipitation 0.4 AugSeptember: 0.34 in precipitation 0.3 SepOctober: 0.22 in precipitation 0.2 OctNovember: 0.34 in precipitation 0.3 NovDecember: 0.44 in precipitation 0.4 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Needles Airport, CA (12 mi away); precipitation: Needles Airport, CA (12 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

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

9236310a
Needles, CA · 10 mi
8640410a
Lake Havasu City, AZ · 12 mi
864469a
Mohave Valley, AZ · 13 mi
864409b
Mohave Valley, AZ · 13 mi
864339b
Oatman, AZ · 14 mi
8640510a
Lake Havasu City, AZ · 18 mi
8640310a
Lake Havasu City, AZ · 19 mi
8640610a
Lake Havasu City, AZ · 31 mi

Arizona planting zones →

Questions about 86436

What planting zone is ZIP code 86436?

ZIP code 86436 (Topock, 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 86436 get?

About 4.3 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Needles Airport station).

How hot do summers get in Topock, AZ?

The average high peaks at 111 °F in July, with about 177 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 86436 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Carrizo family at the center of ZIP 86436: very gravelly loamy sand, excessively drained, pH about 7.9 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Topock, AZ in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 86436 came on Jan 18 in 2026, 5 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 23), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Topock, AZ?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 86436 is 14 h 29 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.