USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 80911 — Colorado Springs, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO (6,181 ft), 5 miles northeast.
Updated
In Colorado Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 8, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 158 days (NOAA, Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 8
- Growing season
- 158 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 23
- Last snow
- April 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 32.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Colorado Springs
Half of springs at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 15 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 8 in half of years, as early as September 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 158 days in a typical year, longer than at 77% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 174 days one year in ten and falls short of 140 one year in ten. On average 160 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 14, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and March 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 3 | May 7 | May 9 | May 12 | May 14 | May 16 | May 18 | May 22 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 24°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 20°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 16°F | Oct 27 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, 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 80911 →Compare Colorado Springs with another place →
Weather by month in Colorado Springs
July is the warmest month at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO, averaging 87°F by day and 58°F at night; December is the coldest at 45°F and 19°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 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,730 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 61% of the 110 Colorado stations. 32% of them (868) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 693. Precipitation totals 16.1 inches a year, most in July (3.1") and least in December (0.2"); May to September bring 73% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 19 | 0.3 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Feb | 47 | 20 | 0.3 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Mar | 55 | 27 | 0.8 | 100% | 24 | 23 |
| Apr | 61 | 34 | 1.5 | 100% | 14 | 73 |
| May | 71 | 44 | 2.0 | 64% | 2 | 251 |
| Jun | 82 | 53 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 516 |
| Jul | 87 | 58 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 693 |
| Aug | 84 | 57 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Sep | 77 | 49 | 1.4 | 19% | 1 | 399 |
| Oct | 65 | 37 | 0.8 | 99% | 10 | 127 |
| Nov | 53 | 26 | 0.4 | 100% | 24 | 19 |
| Dec | 45 | 19 | 0.2 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO (6,181 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, Cumbre Vista - Colorado Spgs 1, CO, 14 miles north of Colorado Springs and 761 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days later (May 9), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 6), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Colorado Springs, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Colorado Springs usually arrives around October 23, and the last of the season around April 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO, 4.8 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 5 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 80911
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 8 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 80911 is 5 miles from Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO, which stands at 6,181 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 11 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 80916 (Colorado Springs). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 80911 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.