USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 80919 — Colorado Springs, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Black Forest 6WNW, CO (6,957 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Colorado Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 in half of years and has passed by May 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 147 days (NOAA, Black Forest 6WNW, CO).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 147 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 22
- Last snow
- May 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 55.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Colorado Springs
Half of springs at Black Forest 6WNW, CO see their last 32°F night by May 11; only one in ten is past it by April 30, and one in ten still has one after May 25. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 20 20%, and after May 25 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 October 6 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 147 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 164 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 162 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 12 days longer, to about May 23, and return around September 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 10 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 5 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 28°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 24°F | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 24°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 20°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 16°F | Oct 23 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Black Forest 6WNW, 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 80919 →Compare Colorado Springs with another place →
Weather by month in Colorado Springs
July is the warmest month at Black Forest 6WNW, CO, averaging 85°F by day and 55°F at night; January 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 87% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,427 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 110 Colorado stations. 30% of them (728) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 626.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 19 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 45 | 19 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
| Mar | 54 | 26 | 100% | 24 | 23 |
| Apr | 60 | 31 | 100% | 17 | 51 |
| May | 69 | 40 | 87% | 7 | 200 |
| Jun | 80 | 50 | 4% | 0 | 448 |
| Jul | 85 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 626 |
| Aug | 83 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 561 |
| Sep | 76 | 47 | 21% | 1 | 359 |
| Oct | 65 | 35 | 99% | 11 | 128 |
| Nov | 53 | 26 | 100% | 22 | 23 |
| Dec | 45 | 19 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Black Forest 6WNW, CO (6,957 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, 8 miles east of Colorado Springs, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 9), the same first-frost date, a season 3 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 22, and the last of the season around May 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Colorado Springs 5.7 WNW, CO, 1.4 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 9 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 80919
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 80919 is 8 miles from Black Forest 6WNW, CO, which stands at 6,957 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 80919 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.