Frost dates for El Morro Natl Mon, 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
June 3
typical year
Safe to plant
June 15
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
September 27
typical year
Growing season
114 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | May 6 – 20 | – |
| Spinach | – | Apr 22 – May 13 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Lettuce | – | May 6 – 27 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Radishes | – | May 6 – Jun 17 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Onions | – | May 6 – 20 | – |
| Potatoes | – | May 13 – 27 | – |
| Carrots | – | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 5 – 19 |
| Beets | – | May 6 – 20 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Kale | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – 20 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Broccoli | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Cabbage | Mar 11 – 25 | May 6 – 20 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Garlic | – | – | Aug 16 – Sep 6 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 15 – 29 | – |
| Peppers | Apr 13 – 27 | Jun 22 – Jul 6 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Jun 15 – Jul 6 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Jun 15 – Jul 13 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Jun 15 – Jul 6 | – |
| Green beans | – | Jun 15 – Jul 19 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Jun 15 – Jul 13 | – |
| Basil | May 11 – 25 | Jun 22 – 29 | – |
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 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | June 15 | June 3 | May 20 |
| Fall frost before | September 14 | September 27 | October 7 |
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 May 20 (June 6 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 4.
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station EL MORRO NATL MON, NM US (USC00292785), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 15 miles:
87321, 87357
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.