USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 80467 — Oak Creek, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Yampa, CO (7,857 ft), 8 miles south.
Updated
In Oak Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 14 in half of years and has passed by June 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 11, as early as August 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 89 days (NOAA, Yampa, CO).
- Last spring frost
- June 14
- First fall frost
- September 11
- Growing season
- 89 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 6
- Last snow
- May 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 131.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Oak Creek
Half of springs at Yampa, CO see their last 32°F night by June 14; only one in ten is past it by June 1, and one in ten still has one after June 28. Planting tender crops after June 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 23 20%, and after June 28 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 September 11 in half of years, as early as August 29 one year in ten, and holds off past September 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around September 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 13, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 89 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 108 days one year in ten and falls short of 69 one year in ten. On average 222 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between October 20 and April 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Jun 1 | Jun 5 | Jun 8 | Jun 11 | Jun 14 | Jun 17 | Jun 20 | Jun 23 | Jun 28 |
| 28°F | May 16 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 5 | Jun 8 | Jun 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 | May 31 |
| 20°F | Apr 16 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 16°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 4 | May 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Aug 29 | Sep 2 | Sep 6 | Sep 9 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 |
| 28°F | Sep 8 | Sep 13 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 |
| 24°F | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 14 |
| 20°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 16°F | Oct 3 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Yampa, 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 80467 →Compare Oak Creek with another place →
Weather by month in Oak Creek
July is the warmest month at Yampa, CO, averaging 79°F by day and 47°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 7°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from September to May (a 90% chance or more). July is the only month with under a 10% chance of a 32°F night. In spring, June still brings one in 90% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,206 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 85% of the 110 Colorado stations. 23% of them (281) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 402. Precipitation totals 17.0 inches a year, most in April (1.8") and least in June (1.1"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 7 | 1.4 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 35 | 9 | 1.3 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 17 | 1.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Apr | 52 | 24 | 1.8 | 100% | 27 | 5 |
| May | 62 | 33 | 1.6 | 100% | 15 | 57 |
| Jun | 74 | 40 | 1.1 | 90% | 3 | 219 |
| Jul | 79 | 47 | 1.6 | 6% | 0 | 402 |
| Aug | 78 | 45 | 1.6 | 15% | <1 | 349 |
| Sep | 70 | 37 | 1.5 | 98% | 7 | 155 |
| Oct | 57 | 27 | 1.3 | 100% | 22 | 19 |
| Nov | 42 | 17 | 1.2 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Dec | 32 | 8 | 1.3 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Yampa, CO (7,857 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, Steamboat Springs, CO, 16 miles north of Oak Creek and 991 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days earlier (June 9), a first frost 1 day later (September 12), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Oak Creek, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Oak Creek usually arrives around October 6, and the last of the season around May 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Yampa, CO, 7.7 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 80467
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| April 5 – April 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 19 – May 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 17 – May 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by August 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 11 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 80467 is 8 miles from Yampa, CO, which stands at 7,857 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 80467 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.