Frost Report

All states New Mexico

Frost dates for Antelope Wells, NM

When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.

Last spring frost

April 16

typical year

Safe to plant

May 1

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 30

typical year

Growing season

195 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Mar 19 – Apr 2 –
Spinach – Mar 5 – 26 Sep 4 – 18
Lettuce – Mar 19 – Apr 9 Sep 4 – 18
Radishes – Mar 19 – Apr 30 Sep 18 – Oct 2
Onions – Mar 19 – Apr 2 –
Potatoes – Mar 26 – Apr 9 –
Carrots – Mar 26 – Apr 16 Aug 7 – 21
Beets – Mar 19 – Apr 2 Aug 21 – Sep 4
Kale Feb 5 – 19 Mar 19 – Apr 2 Aug 21 – Sep 4
Broccoli Feb 5 – 19 Apr 2 – 16 Aug 21 – Sep 4
Cabbage Jan 22 – Feb 5 Mar 19 – Apr 2 Aug 21 – Sep 4
Garlic – – Sep 18 – Oct 9
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 6 – 20 May 1 – 15 –
Peppers Feb 27 – Mar 13 May 8 – 22 –
Cucumbers – May 1 – 22 –
Zucchini – May 1 – 29 –
Pumpkins – May 1 – 22 –
Green beans – May 1 – Aug 21 –
Sweet corn – May 1 – 29 –
Basil Mar 27 – Apr 10 May 8 – 15 –

Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.

The year at a glance

Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting

The chance of frost, by date

1 year in 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after May 1April 16April 3
Fall frost before October 17October 30November 12

Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.

Hard freeze (28°F)

A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around April 2 (April 19 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 8.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station ANTELOPE WELLS, NM US (USC00290426), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 21 miles:

88040

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.