GreenlyGardening in Armenia: climate, frost dates and crops by region
We worked out the season of 5 cities of Armenia from ten years of weather: the frost-free season lasts from 132 days in Vanadzor to 240 days in Vagharshapat. The last spring frost comes first in Vagharshapat (around 27 March) and last in Vanadzor (around 16 May).
Climate zones of Armenia
By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.
| Zone | Cities | Frost-free days | Last spring frost | First autumn frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 210–269 frost-free days | Vagharshapat | 240 | 27 March | 22 November |
| 150–209 frost-free days | Gyumri, Hrazdan, Yerevan | 165 – 209 | 7 April – 8 May | 20 October – 2 November |
| Short season: under 150 frost-free days | Vanadzor | 132 | 16 May | 25 September |
How the regions of Armenia differ
The gap between the warmest month’s days and the coldest month’s nights is widest in Yerevan (38.8 °C) and smallest in Vanadzor (30.6 °C): the smaller it is, the milder both winter and summer. Vanadzor is the wettest of these cities with 1,059 mm a year, Vagharshapat the driest with 436 mm. The hottest summer days are in Vagharshapat (34.5 °C on average in the warmest month), the coolest in Vanadzor (17.8 °C). In all 5 cities at least one month averages below 0 °C at night; the longest such winter is in Vanadzor (November–April).
Which crops suit which part of Armenia
Season long enough: the days from planting to the first autumn frost cover the days to the first harvest on the plant card. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing | Season long enough | Tight or too short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | 1 May (Vagharshapat) – 2 August (Vagharshapat) | 4 of 5: Gyumri, Hrazdan, Yerevan and Vagharshapat | 1 of 5: Vanadzor |
| Cucumber | 12 May (Vagharshapat) – 7 September (Vagharshapat) | all 5 | — |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 12 May (Vagharshapat) – 11 August (Hrazdan) | all 5 | — |
| Zucchini | 12 May (Vagharshapat) – 5 September (Vagharshapat) | all 5 | — |
| Pumpkin | 12 May (Vagharshapat) – 6 August (Hrazdan) | all 5 | — |
| Watermelon | 12 May (Vagharshapat) – 13 August (Vagharshapat) | all 5 | — |
| Peas | 6 March (Vagharshapat) – 9 September (Vagharshapat) | all 5 | — |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: 26 August (Vanadzor) – end of December (Vagharshapat) | — | — |
Cities of Armenia: weather in numbers
| City | Frost-free days | Warmest month, day | Coldest month, night | Rain a year | Driest month | Places to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanadzor | 132 | August, 17.8 °C | January, -12.8 °C | 1,059 mm | November | 4 |
| Gyumri | 176 | August, 28.7 °C | January, -9.7 °C | 545 mm | February | 6 |
| Hrazdan | 165 | August, 24.7 °C | January, -10.2 °C | 699 mm | August | — |
| Yerevan | 209 | August, 32.2 °C | January, -6.6 °C | 490 mm | August | 26 |
| Vagharshapat | 240 | August, 34.5 °C | January, -4.1 °C | 436 mm | August | — |
ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.
