USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 80125 — Littleton, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kassler, CO (5,587 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Littleton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 147 days (NOAA, Kassler, CO).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 147 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 26
- Last snow
- April 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 62.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Littleton
Half of springs at Kassler, CO see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 22 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 45% of the 110 Colorado stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 3 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 147 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 165 days one year in ten and falls short of 126 one year in ten. On average 156 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 11 days longer, to about May 19, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 9 and March 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 5 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 19 | May 21 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 2 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 28°F | Sep 28 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 28 |
| 24°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 7 |
| 20°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 16°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kassler, CO, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 80125 →Compare Littleton with another place →
Weather by month in Littleton
July is the warmest month at Kassler, CO, averaging 87°F by day and 59°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,743 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 110 Colorado stations. 30% of them (828) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 705. Precipitation totals 18.2 inches a year, most in May (2.5") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 17 | 0.6 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
| Feb | 47 | 18 | 0.7 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Mar | 55 | 26 | 1.7 | 100% | 22 | 24 |
| Apr | 61 | 33 | 2.4 | 100% | 14 | 69 |
| May | 69 | 43 | 2.5 | 77% | 3 | 232 |
| Jun | 81 | 52 | 1.8 | 2% | 0 | 498 |
| Jul | 87 | 59 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Aug | 85 | 57 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Sep | 78 | 48 | 1.7 | 37% | 1 | 399 |
| Oct | 66 | 36 | 1.5 | 100% | 10 | 133 |
| Nov | 54 | 25 | 0.9 | 100% | 23 | 29 |
| Dec | 46 | 17 | 0.7 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kassler, CO (5,587 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Roxborough Sp, CO, 4 miles south of Littleton and 530 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days later (May 16), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 1), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Littleton, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Littleton usually arrives around October 26, and the last of the season around April 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Kassler, CO, 1.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 10 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 80125
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 80125 is 2 miles from Kassler, CO, which stands at 5,587 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 80129 (Highlands Ranch). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 80125 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.