USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 87319 — Mentmore, New Mexico
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gallup Municipal Airport, NM (6,471 ft), 7 miles east.
Updated
In Mentmore, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 31 in half of years and has passed by June 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 28, as early as September 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 119 days (NOAA, Gallup Municipal Airport, NM).
- Last spring frost
- May 31
- First fall frost
- September 28
- Growing season
- 119 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 28
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 20.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mentmore
Half of springs at Gallup Municipal Airport, NM see their last 32°F night by May 31; only one in ten is past it by May 15, and one in ten still has one after June 14. Planting tender crops after June 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 9 20%, and after June 14 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 66% of the 70 New Mexico stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 28 in half of years, as early as September 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 7 days later, around October 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 2, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 119 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 137 days one year in ten and falls short of 101 one year in ten. On average 198 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 10 days longer, to about June 10, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 3 and April 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 29 | Jun 2 | Jun 4 | Jun 7 | Jun 10 | Jun 12 | Jun 15 | Jun 19 | Jun 23 |
| 32°F | May 15 | May 20 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 5 | Jun 9 | Jun 14 |
| 28°F | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 28 | Jun 2 |
| 24°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 20°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 16°F | Mar 16 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 17 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 |
| 32°F | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 |
| 28°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 24°F | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 20°F | Oct 8 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 16°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gallup Municipal Airport, 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 87319 →Compare Mentmore with another place →
Weather by month in Mentmore
July is the warmest month at Gallup Municipal Airport, NM, averaging 89°F by day and 55°F at night; December is the coldest at 45°F and 14°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 47% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,445 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 29% of them (714) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 671. Precipitation totals 10.7 inches a year, most in August (1.9") and least in June (0.4"); 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 | 14 | 0.8 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 50 | 19 | 0.7 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 59 | 23 | 0.6 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Apr | 66 | 28 | 0.5 | 100% | 22 | 41 |
| May | 75 | 36 | 0.6 | 100% | 10 | 200 |
| Jun | 86 | 45 | 0.4 | 47% | 1 | 470 |
| Jul | 89 | 55 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 671 |
| Aug | 86 | 53 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 611 |
| Sep | 80 | 44 | 1.3 | 60% | 3 | 367 |
| Oct | 69 | 31 | 0.9 | 100% | 19 | 80 |
| Nov | 56 | 20 | 0.7 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Dec | 45 | 14 | 0.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gallup Municipal Airport, NM (6,471 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, Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, 12 miles east of Mentmore, has a last frost 20 days earlier (May 11), a first frost 9 days later (October 7), a season 29 days longer.
When it snows in Mentmore, New Mexico
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mentmore usually arrives around November 28, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, 11.7 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 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 87319
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 22 – April 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 3 – May 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 28 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 87319 is 7 miles from Gallup Municipal Airport, NM, which stands at 6,471 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 87301 (Gallup). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 87319 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.