USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 80904 — Colorado Springs, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ruxton Park, CO (9,060 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Colorado Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 3 in half of years and has passed by June 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 17, as early as August 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 102 days (NOAA, Ruxton Park, CO).
- Last spring frost
- June 3
- First fall frost
- September 17
- Growing season
- 102 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 8
- Last snow
- May 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 133.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Colorado Springs
Half of springs at Ruxton Park, CO see their last 32°F night by June 3; only one in ten is past it by May 21, and one in ten still has one after June 23. Planting tender crops after June 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 15 20%, and after June 23 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest of the 110 Colorado stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 17 in half of years, as early as August 30 one year in ten, and holds off past September 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around September 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 6, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 102 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 120 days one year in ten and falls short of 75 one year in ten. On average 240 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between October 24 and April 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 21 | May 25 | May 29 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 10 | Jun 15 | Jun 23 |
| 28°F | May 9 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 |
| 24°F | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 21 | May 26 |
| 20°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 16°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Aug 30 | Sep 5 | Sep 10 | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 |
| 28°F | Sep 11 | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 24°F | Sep 21 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 20°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 31 |
| 16°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ruxton Park, 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 80904 →Compare Colorado Springs with another place →
Weather by month in Colorado Springs
July is the warmest month at Ruxton Park, CO, averaging 74°F by day and 47°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 13°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 986 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 110 Colorado stations. 27% of them (264) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 320. Precipitation totals 24.0 inches a year, most in July (3.9") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 13 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 39 | 14 | 1.0 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 45 | 20 | 1.9 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Apr | 51 | 26 | 3.1 | 100% | 28 | 6 |
| May | 59 | 33 | 2.6 | 100% | 20 | 47 |
| Jun | 71 | 42 | 2.1 | 58% | 6 | 210 |
| Jul | 74 | 47 | 3.9 | 6% | 1 | 320 |
| Aug | 72 | 45 | 3.9 | 12% | 1 | 253 |
| Sep | 66 | 39 | 1.9 | 89% | 11 | 129 |
| Oct | 56 | 30 | 1.2 | 100% | 25 | 20 |
| Nov | 46 | 20 | 0.9 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Dec | 39 | 13 | 0.8 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ruxton Park, CO (9,060 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, Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO, 10 miles east of Colorado Springs and 2,879 feet lower, has a last frost 31 days earlier (May 3), a first frost 21 days later (October 8), a season 56 days longer.
When it snows in Colorado Springs, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Colorado Springs usually arrives around October 8, and the last of the season around May 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ruxton Park, CO, 5.9 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 14 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 80904
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 25 – April 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 6 – May 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 17 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 80904 is 6 miles from Ruxton Park, CO, which stands at 9,060 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 80904 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.