Development of a new USDA plant hardiness zone map for the United States

In many regions of the world, the extremes of winter cold are a major determinant of the geographic
distribution of perennial plant species and of their successful cultivation. In the United States, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) is the primary reference for defining
geospatial patterns of extreme winter cold for the horticulture and nursery industries, home gardeners,
agrometeorologists, and plant scientists. This paper describes the approaches followed for updating the
USDA PHZM, the last version of which was published in 1990. The new PHZM depicts 1976–2005 mean
annual extreme minimum temperature, in 2.88C (58F) half zones, for the conterminous United States, Alaska,
Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Station data were interpolated to a grid with the Parameter-Elevation Regressions
on Independent SlopesModel (PRISM) climate-mapping system. PRISM accounts for the effects of elevation,
terrain-induced airmass blockage, coastal effects, temperature inversions, and cold-air pooling on extreme
minimum temperature patterns. Climatologically aided interpolation was applied, based on the 1971–2000
mean minimumtemperature of the coldestmonth as the predictor grid. Evaluation of a standard-deviationmap
and two 15-yr maps (1976–90 and 1991–2005 averaging periods) revealed substantial vertical and horizontal
gradients in trend and variability, especially in complex terrain. The new PHZM is generally warmer by one
2.88C(58F) half zone than the previous PHZMthroughoutmuch of theUnited States, as a result of amore recent
averaging period. Nonetheless, a more sophisticated interpolation technique, greater physiographic detail, and
more comprehensive station data were the main causes of zonal changes in complex terrain, especially in the
western United States. The updated PHZM can be accessed online (http://www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov).