USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 87111 — Albuquerque, New Mexico
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Albuquerque Foothills NE, NM (5,994 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Albuquerque, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Albuquerque Foothills NE, NM).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 184 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 16
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 23.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Albuquerque
Half of springs at Albuquerque Foothills NE, NM see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 4 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% of the 70 New Mexico stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 164 one year in ten. On average 106 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 11 days longer, to about May 2, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and February 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 24°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 7 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Albuquerque Foothills 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 87111 →Compare Albuquerque with another place →
Weather by month in Albuquerque
July is the warmest month at Albuquerque Foothills NE, NM, averaging 89°F by day and 62°F at night; December is the coldest at 45°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,618 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 53% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 37% of them (1,340) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 792. Precipitation totals 15.1 inches a year, most in August (2.7") and least in June (0.6"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 26 | 0.7 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 0.9 | 100% | 19 | 5 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 1.1 | 100% | 12 | 56 |
| Apr | 69 | 40 | 0.9 | 93% | 6 | 173 |
| May | 78 | 49 | 0.7 | 21% | <1 | 418 |
| Jun | 88 | 58 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Jul | 89 | 62 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 792 |
| Aug | 86 | 61 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Sep | 80 | 55 | 1.6 | 2% | <1 | 520 |
| Oct | 68 | 43 | 1.3 | 76% | 3 | 207 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 0.9 | 100% | 15 | 27 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 1.1 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Albuquerque Foothills NE, NM (5,994 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, Albuquerque International Airport, NM, 8 miles southwest of Albuquerque and 684 feet lower, has a last frost 15 days earlier (April 6), a first frost 11 days later (November 3), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Albuquerque, New Mexico
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Albuquerque usually arrives around November 16, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Albuquerque Foothills NE, NM, 1.5 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 87111
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 87111 is 2 miles from Albuquerque Foothills NE, NM, which stands at 5,994 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 87111 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.