USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 87501 — Santa Fe, New Mexico
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Santa Fe 2, NM (6,756 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In Santa Fe, 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 6, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 144 days (NOAA, Santa Fe 2, NM).
- Last spring frost
- May 14
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 144 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 29
- Last snow
- March 27
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Santa Fe
Half of springs at Santa Fe 2, NM see their last 32°F night by May 14; only one in ten is past it by April 30, 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 66% 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 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 16; 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 144 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 162 days one year in ten and falls short of 124 one year in ten. On average 168 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 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and March 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 3 | Jun 9 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 28°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 25 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 |
| 24°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 20°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 16°F | Oct 27 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Santa Fe 2, 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 87501 →Compare Santa Fe with another place →
Weather by month in Santa Fe
July is the warmest month at Santa Fe 2, NM, averaging 86°F by day and 55°F at night; December is the coldest at 43°F and 18°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 89% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,504 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 33% of them (824) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 634. Precipitation totals 12.8 inches a year, most in July (2.3") and least in February (0.5"); May to September bring 59% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 18 | 0.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 48 | 21 | 0.5 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 57 | 26 | 0.7 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 64 | 32 | 0.6 | 100% | 15 | 58 |
| May | 74 | 41 | 0.9 | 89% | 4 | 245 |
| Jun | 84 | 50 | 0.9 | 6% | <1 | 513 |
| Jul | 86 | 55 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Aug | 83 | 54 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 575 |
| Sep | 78 | 47 | 1.4 | 26% | 1 | 367 |
| Oct | 66 | 35 | 1.3 | 100% | 10 | 100 |
| Nov | 53 | 24 | 0.8 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Dec | 43 | 18 | 0.8 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Santa Fe 2, NM (6,756 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, Santa Fe Co Municipal Airport, NM, 11 miles southwest of Santa Fe and 412 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days earlier (May 4), a first frost 9 days later (October 15), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Santa Fe, New Mexico
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Santa Fe usually arrives around November 29, and the last of the season around March 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Santa Fe 7.7 WNW, NM, 4.3 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 48 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 87501
| 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 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 87501 is 10 miles from Santa Fe 2, NM, which stands at 6,756 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 87507 (Santa Fe). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 87501 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.