USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 88316 — Capitan, New Mexico
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Capitan, NM (6,480 ft), 17 miles southwest.
Updated
In Capitan, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 161 days (NOAA, Capitan, NM).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 161 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
- November 15
- Last snow
- March 29
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 27.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Capitan
Half of springs at Capitan, NM see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 17 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 12 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 8, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 161 days in a typical year, shorter than at 57% of the 70 New Mexico stations; it reaches 178 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 141 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 May 13, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Feb 2 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Capitan, 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 88316 →Compare Capitan with another place →
Weather by month in Capitan
July is the warmest month at Capitan, NM, averaging 85°F by day and 55°F at night; December is the coldest at 50°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,819 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 66% of the 70 New Mexico stations. 38% of them (1,058) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 617. Precipitation totals 16.6 inches a year, most in July (3.6") and least in April (0.4"); May to September bring 68% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 24 | 0.7 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Feb | 55 | 27 | 0.5 | 100% | 23 | 6 |
| Mar | 62 | 30 | 0.6 | 100% | 22 | 33 |
| Apr | 69 | 36 | 0.4 | 100% | 12 | 125 |
| May | 77 | 44 | 1.0 | 62% | 2 | 328 |
| Jun | 87 | 51 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 565 |
| Jul | 85 | 55 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 617 |
| Aug | 83 | 54 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Sep | 78 | 48 | 2.3 | 7% | <1 | 390 |
| Oct | 70 | 38 | 1.1 | 99% | 7 | 161 |
| Nov | 60 | 30 | 1.1 | 100% | 20 | 25 |
| Dec | 50 | 24 | 0.9 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Capitan, NM (6,480 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, Ruidoso, NM, 28 miles southwest of Capitan and 450 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days later (May 11), a first frost 7 days earlier (October 5), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Capitan, New Mexico
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Capitan usually arrives around November 15, and the last of the season around March 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Capitan, NM, 16.9 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 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 88316
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 88316 is 17 miles from Capitan, NM, which stands at 6,480 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 88316 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.