USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 88130 — Portales, New Mexico
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Portales, NM (4,010 ft), under a mile northwest.
Updated
In Portales, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 193 days (NOAA, Portales, NM).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 193 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 3
- Last snow
- February 28
- Winters with snow
- 68%
- Snow per year
- 7.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Portales
Half of springs at Portales, NM see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 30, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 25 20%, and after April 30 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 26 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 9 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 193 days in a typical year, longer than at 70% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 173 one year in ten. On average 104 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 April 25, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and February 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F | Jan 21 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Portales, 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 88130 →Compare Portales with another place →
Weather by month in Portales
July is the warmest month at Portales, NM, averaging 93°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 86% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,755 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 40% of them (1,892) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 924. Precipitation totals 16.1 inches a year, most in August (2.9") and least in February (0.4"); May to September bring 66% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 26 | 0.5 | 100% | 26 | 11 |
| Feb | 61 | 29 | 0.4 | 100% | 20 | 33 |
| Mar | 69 | 35 | 0.7 | 100% | 12 | 132 |
| Apr | 77 | 43 | 0.7 | 86% | 4 | 307 |
| May | 85 | 53 | 1.5 | 8% | <1 | 581 |
| Jun | 93 | 62 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Jul | 93 | 66 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Aug | 91 | 65 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Sep | 85 | 57 | 1.9 | 1% | <1 | 640 |
| Oct | 76 | 45 | 1.8 | 70% | 3 | 339 |
| Nov | 63 | 33 | 0.6 | 100% | 15 | 79 |
| Dec | 55 | 26 | 0.7 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Portales, NM (4,010 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, Clovis, NM, 20 miles northeast of Portales and 285 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 14), a first frost 3 days later (October 29), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Portales, New Mexico
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Portales usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around February 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Portales, NM, 0.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 68% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 88130
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 88130 is under a mile from Portales, NM, which stands at 4,010 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 88130 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.