Last and first frost dates in Colorado Springs

When is the last frost in Colorado Springs?

The last frost in Colorado Springs usually comes around 3 May: that is the median of 2016–2025, so in about half of those years the last night at or below 0 °C came later. Hardy crops start before it and frost-tender ones only after it: in the table below arugula can go into open ground from 12 April, while corn waits until 10 May. The first autumn frost follows around 15 October, about 165 days later: harvest or cover frost-tender crops before then.

When to sow and plant

Planting out: a week after the last frost once the soil is warm enough for the crop; frost-hardy crops three weeks before it; an unheated greenhouse three weeks earlier. Seedlings are sown so they are ready on that day. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.

What planting zone is Colorado Springs?

The official USDA map (2023, 1991–2020 data) puts the centre of Colorado Springs (ZIP 80903) in zone 6a. Zone 6a stands for an average coldest night of -10 to -5 °F (-23.3 to -20.6 °C), so perennials hardy to zone 6a or a colder zone should come through a typical winter here.

Check the official USDA map for Colorado Springs: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

When the soil warms up in Colorado Springs

The day the top 7 cm of soil first averages each temperature over a week, median of 2016–2025 (ERA5 via Open-Meteo). The soil reaches 10 °C 22 days before the last spring frost and 15 °C 10 days after it.

Frost dates near Colorado Springs

Of the nearest cities on our list, the last spring frost ends earliest in Grand Junction (18 April) and latest in Cheyenne (12 May).

Seeds, seedlings and markets in Colorado Springs

Within 15 km of Colorado Springs OpenStreetMap lists 16 garden centres, 2 farm-supply shops, 1 plant nursery, 2 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 20 October 2026). The nearest garden centre to the city centre is Spencer’s Lawn & Garden Centers, 2 km away.

• Spencer’s Lawn & Garden Centers — garden centre
  East Brookside Street 24, 80906 Colorado Springs · Mon–Sat 09:00–17:00 · 2 km · spencersgardens.com
• Rocky Mountain Bee Supply — farm supply
  South Walnut Street 24, 80905 Colorado Springs · Thu–Fri 08:00–18:00, Sat 10:00–15:00 · 1 km
• The Olive Tap — market
  North Academy Boulevard 7880, 80920 Colorado Springs · Mon–Sat 11:00–17:00 · 13 km · theolivetap.com
• OCC Farmer’s Market — farm shop
  West Colorado Avenue 2408, 80904 · Jun–Oct: Sat 07:00–13:00 · 4 km · pikespeakfarmersmarkets.com
• Summerland Gardens — garden centre
  Arcturus Drive 806, 80905 Colorado Springs · Mon–Sat 10:00–17:30, Sun 10:00–16:00 · 3 km · summerlandgardens.com
• Hatch and Gather — farm supply
  West Colorado Avenue 701, 80905 Colorado Springs · 2 km · buckleyshomesteadsupply.com

• Where to buy seeds and seedlings in Colorado Springs
• Selling your own harvest in the United States

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Weather in Colorado Springs by month

Average weather in Colorado Springs over 2016–2025: the warmest month is July. Months that average 20 °C or more by day: May–September (21.5–30.8 °C). Months that average 30 °C or more by day: July (30.8 °C). Nights average below 0 °C in November–March (-7.7–-2.4 °C). About 389 mm of rain falls in a year, on 71 days; May is the wettest month (65 mm) and December the driest (13 mm).

Average of the daily highs and lows, rain per month and days with at least 1 mm (ERA5 via Open-Meteo, the same grid cell as the frost dates).

Planted in autumn

From a month before the first autumn frost, so the roots grow before winter, to the late-planting limit on each crop’s page (about two weeks before the ground freezes, by ten years of weather).