Frost dates for Elephant Butte Dam, 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
March 13
typical year
Safe to plant
April 2
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 15
typical year
Growing season
243 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 | – | Feb 13 – 27 | – |
| Spinach | – | Jan 30 – Feb 20 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| Lettuce | – | Feb 13 – Mar 6 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| Radishes | – | Feb 13 – Mar 27 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Onions | – | Feb 13 – 27 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | – |
| Carrots | – | Feb 20 – Mar 13 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Beets | – | Feb 13 – 27 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Kale | Jan 2 – 16 | Feb 13 – 27 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Broccoli | Jan 2 – 16 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Cabbage | Dec 19 – Jan 2 | Feb 13 – 27 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 4 – 25 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 5 – 19 | Apr 2 – 16 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Apr 9 – 23 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 2 – 23 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 2 – 30 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 2 – 23 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 2 – Sep 6 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 2 – 30 | – |
| Basil | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – 16 | – |
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 | April 2 | March 13 | February 26 |
| Fall frost before | November 1 | November 15 | November 28 |
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 March 1 (March 21 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 26.
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station ELEPHANT BUTTE DAM, NM US (USC00292848), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 10 miles:
87901
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.