USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 87015 — Edgewood, New Mexico
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Moriarty 1 NE, NM (6,220 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
In Edgewood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 14 in half of years and has passed by June 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 142 days (NOAA, Moriarty 1 NE, NM).
- Last spring frost
- May 14
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 142 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 22
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Edgewood
Half of springs at Moriarty 1 NE, NM see their last 32°F night by May 14; only one in ten is past it by May 1, and one in ten still has one after June 2. Planting tender crops after May 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 26 20%, and after June 2 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 87% of the 70 New Mexico stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 22 one year in ten, and holds off past October 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 21, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 142 days in a typical year, shorter than at 79% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 160 days one year in ten and falls short of 121 one year in ten. On average 181 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 14 days longer, to about May 28, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 10 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 5 | Jun 11 |
| 32°F | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 21 | May 26 | Jun 2 |
| 28°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 | May 21 |
| 24°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 11 |
| 20°F | Mar 24 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 20°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Moriarty 1 NE, NM, 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 87015 →Compare Edgewood with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Edgewood
In Edgewood, the spring curve drops under 10% on June 2 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 22, 112 days later; that gap is shorter than at 80% of the 70 New Mexico stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 32 days (May 1 to June 2) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 24 days (September 22 to October 16): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Sandia Park, NM, 14 miles northwest, the same gap runs from May 26 to September 24, 9 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 30 | over 90% | 63% |
| May 7 | 73% | 35% |
| May 1450% date | 50% | 20% |
| May 21 | 30% | under 10% |
| May 28 | 17% | under 10% |
| Jun 4 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Edgewood
July is the warmest month at Moriarty 1 NE, NM, averaging 88°F by day and 54°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 90% of years and June still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,480 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 79% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 33% of them (818) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 638. Precipitation totals 12.8 inches a year, most in July (2.7") and least in February (0.4"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 15 | 0.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 51 | 19 | 0.4 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 59 | 24 | 0.7 | 100% | 27 | 8 |
| Apr | 67 | 30 | 0.6 | 100% | 19 | 55 |
| May | 76 | 39 | 1.1 | 90% | 4 | 246 |
| Jun | 86 | 48 | 0.7 | 12% | <1 | 508 |
| Jul | 88 | 54 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 638 |
| Aug | 85 | 52 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Sep | 80 | 44 | 1.4 | 34% | 1 | 353 |
| Oct | 69 | 33 | 1.2 | 100% | 14 | 101 |
| Nov | 56 | 22 | 0.8 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Dec | 45 | 15 | 0.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Moriarty 1 NE, NM (6,220 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, Sandia Park, NM, 14 miles northwest of Edgewood and 810 feet higher, has a last frost 5 days earlier (May 9), a first frost 5 days later (October 9), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Edgewood, New Mexico
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Edgewood usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Moriarty 1 NE, NM, 9.4 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 40 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 87015
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 5 – March 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 16 – April 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 87015 is 9 miles from Moriarty 1 NE, NM, which stands at 6,220 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 87015 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across New Mexico →
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.