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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 87415 — Flora Vista, New Mexico

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Aztec Ruins Nm, NM (5,644 ft), 5 miles east.

Updated

In Flora Vista, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by May 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 147 days (NOAA, Aztec Ruins Nm, NM).

Last spring frost
May 12

50% probability

First fall frost
October 6

50% probability

Growing season
147 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
November 30

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 26

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
96%

24 of 25 observed

Snow per year
10.9"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Flora Vista

Half of springs at Aztec Ruins Nm, NM see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by April 29, and one in ten still has one after May 30. Planting tender crops after May 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 24 20%, and after May 30 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider 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 6 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 18 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 147 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 164 days one year in ten and falls short of 127 one year in ten. On average 158 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 15 days longer, to about May 27, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 16 and March 13.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 11May 17May 20May 24May 27May 30Jun 2Jun 6Jun 11
32°FApr 29May 2May 5May 8May 12May 15May 19May 24May 30
28°FApr 16Apr 21Apr 25Apr 28Apr 30May 2May 4May 7May 12
24°FApr 3Apr 8Apr 12Apr 16Apr 19Apr 22Apr 25Apr 29May 2
20°FMar 12Mar 21Mar 28Apr 1Apr 5Apr 8Apr 11Apr 16Apr 23
16°FFeb 20Feb 27Mar 3Mar 8Mar 13Mar 18Mar 26Apr 1Apr 10
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10
32°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
24°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
20°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19
16°FOct 29Nov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Aztec Ruins Nm, 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 87415 →Compare Flora Vista with another place →

Weather by month in Flora Vista

July is the warmest month at Aztec Ruins Nm, NM, averaging 94°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 83% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,277 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 32% of them (1,059) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 807. Precipitation totals 10.1 inches a year, most in August (1.3") and least in June (0.3"); May to September bring 44% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Aztec Ruins Nm, NM
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan46170.9100%300
Feb53220.8100%261
Mar63270.8100%2321
Apr71330.7100%14108
May80410.783%3329
Jun90500.38%<1600
Jul94581.00%0807
Aug91571.30%0746
Sep84491.125%1491
Oct72360.999%9161
Nov58250.9100%2412
Dec46180.7100%290

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Aztec Ruins Nm, NM (5,644 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, Farmington Regional Airport, NM, 9 miles southwest of Flora Vista, has a last frost 10 days earlier (May 2), a first frost 7 days later (October 13), a season 13 days longer.

Frost dates for 87402 (Farmington) →

When it snows in Flora Vista, New Mexico

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Flora Vista usually arrives around November 30, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Aztec Ruins Nm, NM, 5.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 75 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 87415

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Flora Vista, New Mexico
WhenWhat to do
March 3 – March 17Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 17 – March 31Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 14 – April 28Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 12 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 14Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 22Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 6 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 87415 is 5 miles from Aztec Ruins Nm, NM, which stands at 5,644 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 87410 (Aztec). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 87415 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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in New Mexico