How cold does it get in Phoenix, Arizona?

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I was talking to one of my childhood friends who stayed in the old neighborhood in Minneapolis, and he asked me if it ever got to freezing in Phoenix. It was in the seventies when I was talking to him, and he was watching snow fall, so it seems a reasonable question. He was actually surprised when I told him that yes, it gets to freezing in Phoenix (32F) and I've even seen it in the twenties here in my backyard in Glendale (a suburb of Phoenix). And some of my gardening friends around the valley have reported below that, down to 17.

If you're like me, from back east, even thinking about cold in Phoenix seems to be ridiculous. Compared to Minneapolis, Phoenix never gets cold. But as far as your plants are concerned, it does.

The ability of a plant to withstand cold is called "Hardiness". You can Google how hardy a plant is, and you'd be wise to check that before you plant it in your garden. There are a lot of wonderful and beautiful plants that will do fine in Phoenix, even in the heat (with shade) but will die if the temperatures get too low. I will often say, "This ain't Hawaii!"

I left Minneapolis when I was 19, and have never really needed a heavy coat in Phoenix. I own one, but it's mostly for if I'm going to go visit Flagstaff, where it actually gets cold, and snows. In Phoenix I'm OK with a sweatshirt, or a windbreaker even on the chilliest of days. So to answer your question, it never gets cold in Phoenix. Not like Minneapolis cold.

If you have plants that are "marginal" on their hardiness, you'd be wise to check the overnight temperatures, which is when the desert can get cold. It may be in the seventies when you're out golfing in the sun, but in the wee hours it can not only get cold, but very dry. You gardening people know about that - clear and cold is more damaging to plants than overcast and cold. So on nights where the forecast will get to freezing or below, I cover some of my plants. I have some thermal cloth, but mostly old bedsheets work fine. You put them on before you go to bed, and then take them off when the sun comes up. It's a hassle, but you only have to do it for plants that are tender to the cold. And often a plant will be frost-sensitive when it's little, and will grow out of it.

It's October 19th at 7:30 am, and it's 61 degrees out there.

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