Skip to content

USDA Hardiness Zone 5b

Frost Dates for 82007 — Cheyenne, Wyoming

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cheyenne WFO, WY (6,119 ft), 4 miles north.

Updated

In Cheyenne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 14 in half of years and has passed by May 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 139 days (NOAA, Cheyenne WFO, WY).

Last spring frost
May 14

50% probability

First fall frost
October 1

50% probability

Growing season
139 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
5b

-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night

First snow
October 9

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
May 12

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

17 of 17 observed

Snow per year
65.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Cheyenne

Half of springs at Cheyenne WFO, WY see their last 32°F night by May 14; only one in ten is past it by May 3, and one in ten still has one after May 28. Planting tender crops after May 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 23 20%, and after May 28 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 58% of the 33 Wyoming stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 1 in half of years, as early as September 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 17, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 139 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 33 Wyoming stations; it reaches 155 days one year in ten and falls short of 119 one year in ten. On average 169 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 12 days longer, to about May 26, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 4 and March 31.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 13May 17May 20May 23May 26May 28May 31Jun 3Jun 7
32°FMay 3May 7May 9May 12May 14May 17May 20May 23May 28
28°FApr 20Apr 26Apr 30May 1May 3May 6May 8May 12May 17
24°FApr 8Apr 13Apr 17Apr 20Apr 23Apr 27Apr 30May 3May 7
20°FMar 24Apr 1Apr 4Apr 9Apr 12Apr 16Apr 19Apr 24Apr 30
16°FMar 9Mar 16Mar 22Mar 27Mar 31Apr 3Apr 8Apr 14Apr 21
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 11Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 17Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14
28°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23
24°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 3
20°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 13
16°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 23

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cheyenne WFO, WY, 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 82007 →Compare Cheyenne with another place →

Weather by month in Cheyenne

July is the warmest month at Cheyenne WFO, WY, averaging 83°F by day and 56°F at night; December is the coldest at 40°F and 18°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,065 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 55% of the 33 Wyoming stations. 27% of them (564) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 598. Precipitation totals 16.0 inches a year, most in May (2.5") and least in January (0.4"); May to September bring 63% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cheyenne WFO, WY
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan41180.4100%291
Feb41180.5100%261
Mar49251.0100%259
Apr55301.8100%1826
May64402.595%6147
Jun76492.24%<1380
Jul83562.20%0598
Aug81541.60%0538
Sep73451.646%1290
Oct59331.1100%1268
Nov48240.6100%248
Dec40180.5100%291

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cheyenne WFO, WY (6,119 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, Cheyenne, WY, 3 miles north of Cheyenne, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 12), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days longer.

Frost dates for 82009 (Cheyenne) →

When it snows in Cheyenne, Wyoming

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cheyenne usually arrives around October 9, and the last of the season around May 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cheyenne WFO, WY, 3.5 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 2 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 82007

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Cheyenne, Wyoming
WhenWhat to do
March 5 – March 19Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 19 – April 2Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 16 – April 30Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 14 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 9Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 17Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 1 onwardPlant 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 82007 is 4 miles from Cheyenne WFO, WY, which stands at 6,119 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 82001 (Cheyenne). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 82007 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.

Frost dates across Wyoming →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 5b places in Wyoming