USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 81007 — Pueblo West, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pueblo Rsvr, CO (4,861 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Pueblo West, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 13, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 166 days (NOAA, Pueblo Rsvr, CO).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 13
- Growing season
- 166 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
- December 10
- Last snow
- March 8
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- 14.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pueblo West
Half of springs at Pueblo Rsvr, CO see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 8 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 13 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 166 days in a typical year, longer than at 92% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 184 days one year in ten and falls short of 149 one year in ten. On average 154 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 10 days longer, to about May 6, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 19 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Oct 30 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pueblo Rsvr, 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 81007 →Compare Pueblo West with another place →
Weather by month in Pueblo West
July is the warmest month at Pueblo Rsvr, CO, averaging 92°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 18°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 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,507 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 110 Colorado stations. 34% of them (1,177) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 841. Precipitation totals 12.6 inches a year, most in August (2.1") and least in January (0.3"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 18 | 0.3 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
| Feb | 49 | 20 | 0.3 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Mar | 59 | 28 | 0.9 | 100% | 23 | 39 |
| Apr | 66 | 36 | 1.7 | 99% | 11 | 121 |
| May | 76 | 46 | 1.7 | 33% | 1 | 355 |
| Jun | 87 | 56 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Jul | 92 | 62 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 841 |
| Aug | 90 | 60 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Sep | 82 | 51 | 0.8 | 11% | 1 | 504 |
| Oct | 69 | 38 | 0.9 | 96% | 10 | 179 |
| Nov | 56 | 27 | 0.5 | 100% | 24 | 34 |
| Dec | 47 | 19 | 0.3 | 100% | 29 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pueblo Rsvr, CO (4,861 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, WFO Pueblo, CO, 13 miles east of Pueblo West and 208 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days later (April 30), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 9), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Pueblo West, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pueblo West usually arrives around December 10, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pueblo Rsvr, CO, 5.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 81007
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 13 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 81007 is 5 miles from Pueblo Rsvr, CO, which stands at 4,861 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 81007 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.