The 2023 map includes data measured at weather stations from 1991 to 2020. These national differences in zonal boundaries are mostly a result of incorporating temperature data from a more recent time period. When compared to the 2012 map, the 2023 version reveals that about half of the country shifted to the next warmer half zone, and the other half of the country remained in the same half zone. That shift to the next warmer half zone means those areas warmed somewhere in the range of 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit however, some locations experienced warming in the range of 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit without moving to another half zone. Each zone is broken into half zones, designated as “A” and “B.” For example, zone 7 is divided into 7a and 7b half zones. Low temperature during the winter is a crucial factor in the survival of plants at specific locations.Īs with the 2012 map, the new version has 13 zones across the United States and its territories. Put another way, the designations do not reflect the coldest it has ever been or ever will be at a specific location, but simply the average lowest winter temperature for the location over a specified time. Plant hardiness zone designations represent what’s known as the “average annual extreme minimum temperature” at a given location during a particular time period (30 years, in this instance). The 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map is now available as a premier source of information that gardeners, growers and researchers alike can use.

Additionally, scientists incorporate the plant hardiness zones as a data layer in many research models, such as those modeling the spread of exotic weeds and insects. For example, the USDA Risk Management Agency refers to the map’s plant hardiness zone designations to set certain crop insurance standards. However, they’re not the only ones with a need for this hardiness information. Simon Liu.Īpproximately 80 million American gardeners and growers represent the most frequent users of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The 2023 map incorporates data from 13,412 weather stations compared to the 7,983 that were used for the 2012 map.įurthermore, the new map’s rendering for Alaska is now at a much more detailed resolution (down from a 6 ¼ -square-mile area of detail to a ¼ square mile). 'These updates reflect our ongoing commitment to ensuring the Plant Hardiness Zone Map remains a premier source of information that gardeners, growers and researchers alike can use, whether they’re located in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico,” said ARS Administrator Dr. Notably, the 2023 map delivers to users several new, significant features and advances. Like the 2012 map, the 2023 web version offers a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based interactive format and is specifically designed to be user-friendly. The 2023 map is based on 30-year averages of the lowest annual winter temperatures at specific locations, is divided into 10-degree Fahrenheit zones and further divided into 5-degree Fahrenheit half-zones. In addition to the map updates, the Plant Hardiness Zone Map website was expanded in 2023 to include a “Tips for Growers” section, which provides information about USDA ARS research programs of interest to gardeners and others who grow and breed plants. The new map-jointly developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Oregon State University's (OSU) PRISM Climate Group-is more accurate and contains greater detail than prior versions. USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location.

Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released a new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), updating this valuable tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 2012. Next time change is highlighted.ĭata for the years before 1970 is not available for Sioux Falls, however, we have earlier time zone history for Chicago available.USDA Unveils Updated Plant Hardiness Zone MapĮmail: DC, Nov. Time Changes in Sioux Falls Over the Yearsĭaylight Saving Time (DST) changes do not necessarily occur on the same date every year. The graph above illustrates clock changes in Sioux Falls during 2024.

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