USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 81147 — Pagosa Springs, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dulce, NM (6,793 ft), 22 miles south.
Updated
In Pagosa Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 9 in half of years and has passed by June 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 22, as early as September 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 103 days (NOAA, Dulce, NM).
- Last spring frost
- June 9
- First fall frost
- September 22
- Growing season
- 103 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
- November 5
- Last snow
- April 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 55.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pagosa Springs
Half of springs at Dulce, NM see their last 32°F night by June 9; only one in ten is past it by May 25, and one in ten still has one after June 27. Planting tender crops after June 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 21 20%, and after June 27 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 89% of the 110 Colorado stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 22 in half of years, as early as September 10 one year in ten, and holds off past October 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around September 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 10, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 103 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 123 days one year in ten and falls short of 83 one year in ten. On average 217 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 15 days longer, to about June 24, and return around September 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 1 and April 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 9 | Jun 14 | Jun 18 | Jun 21 | Jun 24 | Jun 27 | Jun 30 | Jul 4 | Jul 9 |
| 32°F | May 25 | May 30 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 9 | Jun 13 | Jun 16 | Jun 21 | Jun 27 |
| 28°F | May 6 | May 11 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 27 | May 31 | Jun 4 | Jun 10 |
| 24°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 | May 21 |
| 20°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 28 | Sep 2 | Sep 6 | Sep 10 | Sep 12 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 |
| 32°F | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 |
| 28°F | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 24°F | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 20°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 16°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dulce, NM, 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 81147 →Compare Pagosa Springs with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Pagosa Springs
In Pagosa Springs, the spring curve drops under 10% on June 27 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 10, 75 days later; that gap is shorter than at 83% of the 110 Colorado stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 33 days (May 25 to June 27) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 21 days (September 10 to October 1): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Ignacio 6ESE, CO, 26 miles southwest, the same gap runs from June 7 to September 18, 28 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| May 26 | 88% | 43% |
| Jun 2 | 73% | 25% |
| Jun 950% date | 50% | 12% |
| Jun 16 | 30% | under 10% |
| Jun 23 | 17% | under 10% |
| Jun 30 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Pagosa Springs
July is the warmest month at Dulce, NM, averaging 88°F by day and 50°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 10°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,010 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 110 Colorado stations. 27% of them (540) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 586. Precipitation totals 17.5 inches a year, most in August (2.4") and least in June (0.7"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 10 | 1.5 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 48 | 16 | 1.4 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 57 | 22 | 1.1 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Apr | 64 | 28 | 1.2 | 100% | 25 | 21 |
| May | 74 | 34 | 1.1 | 100% | 14 | 145 |
| Jun | 84 | 41 | 0.7 | 74% | 4 | 374 |
| Jul | 88 | 50 | 2.1 | 6% | <1 | 586 |
| Aug | 85 | 49 | 2.4 | 2% | <1 | 535 |
| Sep | 79 | 41 | 1.7 | 87% | 5 | 297 |
| Oct | 68 | 29 | 1.5 | 100% | 23 | 51 |
| Nov | 54 | 20 | 1.3 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Dec | 44 | 12 | 1.5 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dulce, NM (6,793 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, Ignacio 6ESE, CO, 26 miles southwest of Pagosa Springs and 245 feet lower, has a last frost 17 days earlier (May 23), a first frost 7 days later (September 29), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Pagosa Springs, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pagosa Springs usually arrives around November 5, and the last of the season around April 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Dulce, NM, 22 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 53 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 81147
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 31 – April 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 14 – April 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 12 – May 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 22 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 81147 is 22 miles from Dulce, NM, which stands at 6,793 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 81147 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.