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USDA Hardiness Zone 5b

Frost Dates for 80759 — Yuma, Colorado

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Yuma, CO (4,134 ft), 4 miles southwest.

Updated

In Yuma, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 164 days (NOAA, Yuma, CO).

Last spring frost
May 1

50% probability

First fall frost
October 12

50% probability

Growing season
164 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
5b

-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night

First snow
November 2

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 30

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

24 of 24 observed

Snow per year
22.8"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Yuma

Half of springs at Yuma, CO see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 81% of the 110 Colorado stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 12 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 164 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 181 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 one year in ten. On average 155 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 9 days longer, to about May 10, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and March 15.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 30May 2May 5May 8May 10May 12May 15May 18May 22
32°FApr 16Apr 22Apr 26Apr 29May 1May 3May 6May 9May 13
28°FApr 4Apr 9Apr 14Apr 17Apr 19Apr 23Apr 27Apr 30May 3
24°FMar 20Mar 28Apr 2Apr 5Apr 10Apr 13Apr 16Apr 19Apr 25
20°FMar 6Mar 13Mar 19Mar 25Mar 30Apr 2Apr 6Apr 11Apr 16
16°FFeb 25Mar 2Mar 6Mar 11Mar 15Mar 22Mar 28Apr 2Apr 9
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14
32°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23
28°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30
24°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
20°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
16°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Yuma, 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 80759 →Compare Yuma with another place →

Weather by month in Yuma

July is the warmest month at Yuma, CO, averaging 92°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°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 52% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,338 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 110 Colorado stations. 33% of them (1,101) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 835. Precipitation totals 17.9 inches a year, most in July (3.1") and least in January (0.3"); May to September bring 70% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Yuma, CO
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan43170.3100%301
Feb45190.4100%273
Mar56270.8100%2237
Apr63351.6100%12104
May73462.952%2323
Jun86562.50%0634
Jul92623.10%0835
Aug89602.60%0753
Sep81501.412%1470
Oct66371.399%8152
Nov53260.5100%2326
Dec43180.5100%301

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Yuma, CO (4,134 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, Akron 4 E, CO, 24 miles west of Yuma and 408 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days later (May 8), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 6), a season 15 days shorter.

Frost dates for 80720 (Akron) →

When it snows in Yuma, Colorado

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Yuma usually arrives around November 2, and the last of the season around March 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Yuma, CO, 3.6 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 80759

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Yuma, Colorado
WhenWhat to do
February 20 – March 6Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 6 – March 20Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 3 – April 17Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 1 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 20Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 28Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 12 onwardPlant 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 80759 is 4 miles from Yuma, CO, which stands at 4,134 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 80759 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.

Frost dates across Colorado →

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.

Other zone 5b places in Colorado