Frost Report

All states New Mexico

Frost dates for Grants, 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

May 17

typical year

Safe to plant

June 1

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 3

typical year

Growing season

137 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 – Apr 19 – May 3 –
Spinach – Apr 5 – 26 Aug 8 – 22
Lettuce – Apr 19 – May 10 Aug 8 – 22
Radishes – Apr 19 – May 31 Aug 22 – Sep 5
Onions – Apr 19 – May 3 –
Potatoes – Apr 26 – May 10 –
Carrots – Apr 26 – May 17 Jul 11 – 25
Beets – Apr 19 – May 3 Jul 25 – Aug 8
Kale Mar 8 – 22 Apr 19 – May 3 Jul 25 – Aug 8
Broccoli Mar 8 – 22 May 3 – 17 Jul 25 – Aug 8
Cabbage Feb 22 – Mar 8 Apr 19 – May 3 Jul 25 – Aug 8
Garlic – – Aug 22 – Sep 12
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Apr 6 – 20 Jun 1 – 15 –
Peppers Mar 30 – Apr 13 Jun 8 – 22 –
Cucumbers – Jun 1 – 22 –
Zucchini – Jun 1 – 29 –
Pumpkins – Jun 1 – 22 –
Green beans – Jun 1 – Jul 25 –
Sweet corn – Jun 1 – 29 –
Basil Apr 27 – May 11 Jun 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 June 1May 17April 30
Fall frost before September 21October 3October 14

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 4 (May 21 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 11.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 2 towns.

Grants, Milan

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station GRANTS AP, NM US (USC00293682), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 3 zip codes, all within 11 miles:

87020, 87021, 87051

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