USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 81625 — Craig, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Craig Moffat Co Airport, CO (6,186 ft), 7 miles southeast.
Updated
In Craig, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 6 in half of years and has passed by June 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 12, as early as August 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 96 days (NOAA, Craig Moffat Co Airport, CO).
- Last spring frost
- June 6
- First fall frost
- September 12
- Growing season
- 96 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 29
- Last snow
- April 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Craig
Half of springs at Craig Moffat Co Airport, CO see their last 32°F night by June 6; only one in ten is past it by May 21, and one in ten still has one after June 24. Planting tender crops after June 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 17 20%, and after June 24 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 12 in half of years, as early as August 31 one year in ten, and holds off past September 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around September 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 6, 18 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 96 days in a typical year, shorter than at 86% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 117 days one year in ten and falls short of 75 one year in ten. On average 221 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between October 25 and April 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 21 | May 26 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 9 | Jun 12 | Jun 17 | Jun 24 |
| 28°F | May 4 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 24 | May 28 | Jun 1 | Jun 6 |
| 24°F | Apr 19 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 20°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Aug 31 | Sep 3 | Sep 7 | Sep 10 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 25 |
| 28°F | Sep 10 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 |
| 24°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 20°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 16°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Craig Moffat Co Airport, 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 81625 →Compare Craig with another place →
Weather by month in Craig
July is the warmest month at Craig Moffat Co Airport, CO, averaging 89°F by day and 47°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 3°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from September to May (a 90% chance or more). July is the only month with under a 10% chance of a 32°F night. In spring, June still brings one in 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,784 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 110 Colorado stations. 26% of them (457) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 566. Precipitation totals 14.2 inches a year, most in September (1.8") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 3 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 36 | 9 | 0.9 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 48 | 20 | 1.0 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Apr | 59 | 27 | 1.7 | 100% | 24 | 11 |
| May | 69 | 35 | 1.6 | 100% | 13 | 114 |
| Jun | 81 | 41 | 1.0 | 67% | 2 | 331 |
| Jul | 89 | 47 | 0.9 | 6% | <1 | 566 |
| Aug | 87 | 46 | 1.0 | 11% | <1 | 504 |
| Sep | 77 | 37 | 1.8 | 96% | 9 | 230 |
| Oct | 62 | 26 | 1.5 | 100% | 24 | 27 |
| Nov | 47 | 17 | 1.0 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Dec | 32 | 5 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Craig Moffat Co Airport, CO (6,186 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, Hayden, CO, 19 miles east of Craig and 281 feet higher, has a last frost 5 days earlier (June 1), a first frost 8 days later (September 20), a season 13 days longer.
When it snows in Craig, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Craig usually arrives around October 29, and the last of the season around April 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Craig 4SW, CO, 8 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.
Planting calendar for 81625
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 28 – April 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 9 – May 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by August 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 12 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 81625 is 7 miles from Craig Moffat Co Airport, CO, which stands at 6,186 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 81625 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.