USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 81641 — Meeker, Colorado
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Meeker, CO (6,229 ft), 1 miles southeast.
Updated
In Meeker, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 4 in half of years and has passed by June 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 16, as early as September 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 104 days (NOAA, Meeker, CO).
- Last spring frost
- June 4
- First fall frost
- September 16
- Growing season
- 104 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
- October 28
- Last snow
- April 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 64.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Meeker
Half of springs at Meeker, CO see their last 32°F night by June 4; only one in ten is past it by May 21, and one in ten still has one after June 23. Planting tender crops after June 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 16 20%, and after June 23 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 95% of the 110 Colorado stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 16 in half of years, as early as September 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around September 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 7, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 104 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 110 Colorado stations; it reaches 125 days one year in ten and falls short of 79 one year in ten. On average 214 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between October 28 and April 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 21 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 4 | Jun 7 | Jun 11 | Jun 16 | Jun 23 |
| 28°F | May 4 | May 9 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 | Jun 1 | Jun 7 |
| 24°F | Apr 21 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 20°F | Apr 4 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Sep 3 | Sep 7 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Oct 1 |
| 28°F | Sep 11 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 |
| 24°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 20°F | Oct 4 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 16°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Meeker, 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 81641 →Compare Meeker with another place →
Weather by month in Meeker
July is the warmest month at Meeker, CO, averaging 86°F by day and 48°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 6°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,696 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 110 Colorado stations. 26% of them (449) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 527. Precipitation totals 16.7 inches a year, most in April (2.0") and least in February (1.0"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 6 | 1.2 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 39 | 13 | 1.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 50 | 22 | 1.2 | 100% | 29 | 3 |
| Apr | 58 | 28 | 2.0 | 100% | 23 | 19 |
| May | 68 | 35 | 1.8 | 99% | 12 | 115 |
| Jun | 79 | 41 | 1.0 | 60% | 3 | 312 |
| Jul | 86 | 48 | 1.1 | 5% | <1 | 527 |
| Aug | 84 | 46 | 1.4 | 6% | <1 | 460 |
| Sep | 76 | 38 | 1.8 | 89% | 7 | 225 |
| Oct | 63 | 27 | 1.7 | 100% | 23 | 34 |
| Nov | 48 | 19 | 1.3 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Dec | 35 | 8 | 1.2 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Meeker, CO (6,229 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, Rifle 3ENE, CO, 35 miles south of Meeker and 760 feet lower, has a last frost 12 days earlier (May 23), a first frost 9 days later (September 25), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Meeker, Colorado
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Meeker usually arrives around October 28, and the last of the season around April 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Meeker, CO, 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 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 81641
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 26 – April 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 7 – May 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 16 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 81641 is 1 mile from Meeker, CO, which stands at 6,229 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 81641 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.