Think Out Loud New USDA and Oregon State University map helps winter gardeners By Sheraz Sadiq (OPB) Nov. 28, 2023 3:23 p.m. Updated: Dec. 7, 2023 9:17 a.m.

Each zone is further divided into two half zones, with each of those representing a 5-degree range. “Overall, the 2023 map is about 2.5 degrees warmer than the 2012 map across the conterminous ...

The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map, which was generated based on weather data gathered from 1991 to 2020, indicates that about half the United States moved into a warmer zone.

There are 13 full zones (with 1 being the coldest and 13 being the warmest). Each full zone is also divided into half zones. The USDA draws the map using a color-coded key for easier reference.

The newest version of the map, released last November, is also based on three decades’ worth of data (1991–2020). And for the first time, the map is aligned with an interval of time known as a “ ...

Though it was last updated in 2012, the previous map used weather data from 1974 to 1986. In recent decades, climate patterns have changed, meaning temperature zone borders need to shift.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released its updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map uses weather data to map average annual extreme minimum ...

Credit: USDA On the 2012 map, most of Long Island was in zone 7a, with winter lows of 0 to 5 degrees.. On the updated map, the region is nearly all zone 7b, with winter lows of 5 to 10 degrees.