Frost Dates for 81526 — Palisade, Colorado

Half of springs at Palisade, CO see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 75% of the 110 Colorado stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 26 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 190 days in a typical year, the longest of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 215 days one year in ten and falls short of 167 one year in ten. On average 119 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 13 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and February 9.

July is the warmest month at Palisade, CO, averaging 93°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 83% of years and May still brings one in 16% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,732 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 110 Colorado stations. 35% of them (1,289) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 890. Precipitation totals 10.7 inches a year, most in September (1.4") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 44% of it.

The nearest other station, Grand Junction 6ESE, CO, 7 miles southwest of Palisade, has a last frost 6 days later (April 23), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 20), a season 11 days shorter.

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Palisade usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Palisade, CO, 1.2 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 47 days after the last snow.

ZIP 81526 is 1 mile from Palisade, CO, which stands at 4,751 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 81526 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.