USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 81521 — Fruita, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fruita, CO (4,498 ft), 1 miles south.
Updated
In Fruita, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 164 days (NOAA, Fruita, CO).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 11
- Growing season
- 164 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 24
- Last snow
- March 23
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 21.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fruita
Half of springs at Fruita, CO see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 10 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 110 Colorado stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so the end of frost is fairly predictable.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 11 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 164 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 167 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 8, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fruita, 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 81521 →Compare Fruita with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Fruita
In Fruita, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 7 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 28, 144 days later; that gap is longer than at 95% of the 110 Colorado stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 20 days (April 17 to May 7) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 27 days (September 28 to October 25): the first frost is the less predictable end of the season. At Colorado Nm, CO, 4 miles south, the same gap runs from May 15 to October 1, 5 days shorter.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 13 | over 90% | 67% |
| Apr 20 | 83% | 40% |
| Apr 2750% date | 50% | 17% |
| May 4 | 20% | under 10% |
| May 11 | under 10% | under 10% |
| May 18 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Fruita
July is the warmest month at Fruita, CO, averaging 95°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 15°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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,351 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 110 Colorado stations. 33% of them (1,122) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 843. Precipitation totals 10.1 inches a year, most in October (1.2") and least in June (0.6"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 15 | 0.8 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 47 | 21 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 59 | 29 | 0.9 | 100% | 24 | 21 |
| Apr | 67 | 35 | 0.9 | 100% | 12 | 108 |
| May | 78 | 45 | 0.9 | 32% | 2 | 369 |
| Jun | 89 | 53 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 624 |
| Jul | 95 | 60 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 843 |
| Aug | 92 | 58 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Sep | 83 | 48 | 1.1 | 15% | 1 | 473 |
| Oct | 69 | 36 | 1.2 | 96% | 14 | 135 |
| Nov | 54 | 25 | 0.7 | 100% | 27 | 6 |
| Dec | 40 | 16 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fruita, CO (4,498 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 Nm, CO, 4 miles south of Fruita and 1,283 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 26), a first frost 5 days later (October 16), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Fruita, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fruita usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around March 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Colorado Nm, CO, 4.1 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 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 81521
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 81521 is 1 mile from Fruita, CO, which stands at 4,498 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 81521 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.