USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 87801 — Socorro, New Mexico
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Socorro, NM (4,593 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Socorro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 191 days (NOAA, Socorro, NM).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 191 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 38%
- Snow per year
- 2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Socorro
Half of springs at Socorro, NM see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 1 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 46% of the 70 New Mexico stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 25 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 191 days in a typical year, longer than at 67% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 210 days one year in ten and falls short of 169 one year in ten. On average 126 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 13 days longer, to about April 29, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and February 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Socorro, 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 87801 →Compare Socorro with another place →
Weather by month in Socorro
July is the warmest month at Socorro, NM, averaging 92°F by day and 63°F at night; December is the coldest at 51°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 87% of years and May still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,012 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 39% of them (1,563) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 849. Precipitation totals 10.0 inches a year, most in July (2.4") and least in January (0.3"); May to September bring 66% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 23 | 0.3 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 59 | 28 | 0.3 | 100% | 22 | 14 |
| Mar | 67 | 34 | 0.5 | 100% | 16 | 87 |
| Apr | 75 | 41 | 0.3 | 87% | 6 | 244 |
| May | 83 | 49 | 0.4 | 12% | 1 | 492 |
| Jun | 91 | 57 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 725 |
| Jul | 92 | 63 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 849 |
| Aug | 89 | 61 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Sep | 84 | 53 | 1.3 | 0% | 0 | 555 |
| Oct | 73 | 42 | 0.9 | 74% | 5 | 238 |
| Nov | 61 | 31 | 0.5 | 100% | 21 | 29 |
| Dec | 51 | 24 | 0.6 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Socorro, NM (4,593 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
When it snows in Socorro, New Mexico
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bosque Del Apache, NM, 10.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 87801
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 87801 is 8 miles from Socorro, NM, which stands at 4,593 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 87801 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.