USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 88252 — Jal, New Mexico
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jal, NM (3,054 ft), 7 miles southeast.
Updated
In Jal, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 215 days (NOAA, Jal, NM).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 215 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 48%
- Snow per year
- 3.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
12 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Jal
Half of springs at Jal, NM see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 19 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 87% of the 70 New Mexico stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 3 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 215 days in a typical year, longer than at 84% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 239 days one year in ten and falls short of 191 one year in ten. On average 77 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 13, and return around October 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between December 20 and January 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 |
| 20°F | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jal, 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 88252 →Compare Jal with another place →
Weather by month in Jal
July is the warmest month at Jal, NM, averaging 96°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 27°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 47% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,591 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 41% of them (2,307) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 994. Precipitation totals 12.4 inches a year, most in September (2.2") and least in November (0.3"); May to September bring 67% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 27 | 0.4 | 100% | 22 | 21 |
| Feb | 65 | 31 | 0.4 | 100% | 15 | 58 |
| Mar | 72 | 38 | 0.5 | 98% | 6 | 210 |
| Apr | 82 | 47 | 0.6 | 47% | 1 | 428 |
| May | 89 | 56 | 1.5 | 3% | <1 | 690 |
| Jun | 95 | 65 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 96 | 68 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 994 |
| Aug | 95 | 67 | 1.3 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Sep | 88 | 59 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 713 |
| Oct | 80 | 47 | 1.3 | 42% | 1 | 438 |
| Nov | 69 | 37 | 0.3 | 99% | 9 | 152 |
| Dec | 60 | 28 | 0.6 | 100% | 21 | 27 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jal, NM (3,054 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, Kermit, TX, 26 miles southeast of Jal and 224 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 8 days later (November 11), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Jal, New Mexico
Measurable snow is rare here: only 12 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Ochoa, NM, 9.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 88252
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 88252 is 7 miles from Jal, NM, which stands at 3,054 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 88252 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.