Frost dates New Mexico Albuquerque

Frost dates in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Last spring frost Apr 6 First fall frost Nov 3 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Albuquerque is Apr 6 and the average first fall frost is Nov 3, measured at ALBUQUERQUE INTL AP, about 4 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostApr 632°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostNov 332°F, 50% probability
Days between them211average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Mar 17Nov 16
50%Apr 6Nov 3
10%Apr 23Oct 21

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Apr 6, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Apr 23. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Oct 21.

Measured at: ALBUQUERQUE INTL AP, NM (NOAA station USW00023050), about 4 miles away at 5,310 ft, 26 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY, NM (NOAA station USC00290231), about 5 miles away at 4,955 ft, 29 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 18, first fall frost Oct 24
  • PETROGLYPH NATL MON, NM (NOAA station USC00296754), about 5 miles away at 5,121 ft, 22 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 15, first fall frost Oct 27

Seed-starting schedule for Albuquerque, NM

Counted from a last frost date of Apr 6 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Dec 2914 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekDec 29 to Jan 12
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionDec 29 to Jan 12
  2. Week of Jan 513 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyJan 5 to Jan 12
  3. Week of Jan 1212 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryJan 12 to Jan 26
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachJan 12 to Jan 26
  4. Week of Jan 2610 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliJan 26 to Feb 9
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutJan 26 to Feb 9
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageJan 26 to Feb 9
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleJan 26 to Feb 9
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiJan 26 to Feb 9
  5. Week of Feb 29 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceFeb 2 to Feb 9
  6. Week of Feb 98 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerFeb 9 to Feb 23
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantFeb 9 to Feb 23
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperFeb 9 to Feb 23
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardFeb 9 to Feb 23
  7. Week of Feb 167 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoFeb 16 to Mar 2
  8. Week of Feb 236 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilFeb 23 to Mar 9
    • Set transplants outSpinachFeb 23 to Mar 16
  9. Week of Mar 94 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishMar 9 to Mar 23
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Mar 9
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipMar 9 to Mar 23
    • Set transplants outBroccoliMar 9 to Mar 23
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutMar 9 to Mar 23
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Mar 9
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Mar 9
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Mar 9
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Mar 9
    • Set transplants outLettuceMar 9 to Mar 16
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Mar 9
  10. Week of Mar 163 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberMar 16 to Mar 23
    • Set transplants outParsleyMar 16 to Mar 23
  11. Week of Mar 232 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonMar 23 to Mar 30
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinMar 23 to Mar 30
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashMar 23 to Mar 30
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashMar 23 to Mar 30
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniMar 23 to Mar 30
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoMar 23 to Mar 30
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Mar 23
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Mar 23
  12. Week of Apr 6Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Apr 6
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Apr 6
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Apr 6
  13. Week of Apr 131 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoApr 13 to Apr 20
    • Set transplants outCucumberApr 13 to Apr 20
    • Set transplants outTomatoApr 13 to Apr 20
  14. Week of Apr 202 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom Apr 20
    • Set transplants outEggplantApr 20 to Apr 27
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom Apr 20
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom Apr 20
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom Apr 20
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom Apr 20
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom Apr 20
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom Apr 20

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

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