USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 80536 — Livermore, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Virginia Dale 7 ENE, CO (7,015 ft), 11 miles northeast.
Updated
In Livermore, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 31 in half of years and has passed by June 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 19, as early as September 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 110 days (NOAA, Virginia Dale 7 ENE, CO).
- Last spring frost
- May 31
- First fall frost
- September 19
- Growing season
- 110 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 10
- Last snow
- May 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Livermore
Half of springs at Virginia Dale 7 ENE, CO see their last 32°F night by May 31; only one in ten is past it by May 17, and one in ten still has one after June 15. Planting tender crops after June 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 9 20%, and after June 15 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 56% of the 110 Colorado stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 19 in half of years, as early as September 5 one year in ten, and holds off past October 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around September 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 31, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 110 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 130 days one year in ten and falls short of 89 one year in ten. On average 203 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 14 days longer, to about June 14, and return around September 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between October 30 and April 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 31 | Jun 4 | Jun 8 | Jun 11 | Jun 14 | Jun 17 | Jun 20 | Jun 24 | Jun 30 |
| 32°F | May 17 | May 21 | May 24 | May 27 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 4 | Jun 9 | Jun 15 |
| 28°F | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 26 | May 31 |
| 24°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 20°F | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 16°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 23 | Aug 31 | Sep 3 | Sep 5 | Sep 8 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 22 |
| 32°F | Sep 5 | Sep 10 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 |
| 28°F | Sep 14 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 24°F | Sep 23 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 25 |
| 20°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 |
| 16°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Virginia Dale 7 ENE, 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 80536 →Compare Livermore with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Livermore
In Livermore, the spring curve drops under 10% on June 15 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 5, 82 days later; that gap is shorter than at 78% of the 110 Colorado stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 29 days (May 17 to June 15) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 26 days (September 5 to October 1): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Buckhorn Mountain 1 E, CO, 19 miles south, the same gap runs from June 4 to September 12, 18 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| May 17 | over 90% | 47% |
| May 24 | 70% | 25% |
| May 3150% date | 50% | under 10% |
| Jun 7 | 24% | under 10% |
| Jun 14 | 12% | under 10% |
| Jun 21 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Livermore
July is the warmest month at Virginia Dale 7 ENE, CO, averaging 81°F by day and 50°F at night; December is the coldest at 38°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,553 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 110 Colorado stations. 24% of them (378) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 481. Precipitation totals 17.5 inches a year, most in July (2.6") and least in January (0.5"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 16 | 0.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 39 | 15 | 0.6 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 47 | 22 | 1.1 | 100% | 29 | 4 |
| Apr | 53 | 27 | 2.3 | 100% | 24 | 12 |
| May | 62 | 35 | 2.5 | 100% | 11 | 87 |
| Jun | 74 | 43 | 2.1 | 46% | 1 | 275 |
| Jul | 81 | 50 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 481 |
| Aug | 80 | 48 | 1.6 | 4% | 0 | 435 |
| Sep | 72 | 40 | 1.9 | 87% | 4 | 217 |
| Oct | 57 | 30 | 1.1 | 100% | 20 | 39 |
| Nov | 45 | 22 | 0.7 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Dec | 38 | 15 | 0.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Virginia Dale 7 ENE, CO (7,015 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, Buckhorn Mountain 1 E, CO, 19 miles south of Livermore and 385 feet higher, has a last frost 10 days earlier (May 21), a first frost 10 days later (September 29), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Livermore, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Livermore usually arrives around October 10, and the last of the season around May 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Virginia Dale 7.2 SSW, CO, 1.8 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 80536
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 22 – April 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 3 – May 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 19 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 80536 is 11 miles from Virginia Dale 7 ENE, CO, which stands at 7,015 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 80536 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.