GreenlyFrost dates and when to plant in New Mexico
United States
In New Mexico the last spring frost comes between 28 February (Las Cruces) and 20 April (Santa Fe (United States)) — the median of 2016–2025 in 3 cities. The first autumn frost comes between 26 October (Santa Fe (United States)) and 24 November (Las Cruces). The frost-free season lasts 189–269 days. Tomato: plant out into open ground 17 March – 4 August, earliest in Las Cruces, latest in Las Cruces.
Frost dates by city in New Mexico
| City | Last spring frost | First autumn frost | Frost-free days | Climate zone | Tomato: window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Cruces | 28 February | 24 November | 269 | 210–269 frost-free days | 17 March – 4 August |
| Albuquerque | 5 April | 9 November | 218 | 210–269 frost-free days | 12 April – 20 July |
| Santa Fe (United States) | 20 April | 26 October | 189 | 150–209 frost-free days | 27 April – 6 July |
Median of 2016–2025 for the 25 km grid cell of the city: the last day at or below 0 °C in spring and the first in autumn (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo). In a cold year a frost can come a week or two later — Greenly warns 48 hours ahead.
When to plant in New Mexico: windows by crop
The earliest start and the latest end among the cities here, each with its city; every city’s own window is on its page. 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.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing |
|---|---|
| Tomato | 17 March (Las Cruces) – 4 August (Las Cruces) |
| Cucumber | 5 April (Las Cruces) – 9 September (Las Cruces) |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 5 April (Las Cruces) – 4 August (Las Cruces) |
| Zucchini | 5 April (Las Cruces) – 7 September (Las Cruces) |
| Pumpkin | 5 April (Las Cruces) – 30 July (Las Cruces) |
| Watermelon | 5 April (Las Cruces) – 15 August (Las Cruces) |
| Peas | 7 February (Las Cruces) – 11 September (Las Cruces) |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: 26 September (Santa Fe (United States)) – end of December (Albuquerque) |
Weather by month in New Mexico
Across the 3 cities the warmest month is July (average days 29.3 … 36.2 °C) and the coldest January (average nights -6.8 … 1.1 °C). 2 of the 3 cities have months with nights below 0 °C on average; the longest such winter is in Santa Fe (United States) (November–February).
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.6 … 14.2 °C | -6.8 … 1.1 °C | 19 |
| February | 6.8 … 18.3 °C | -3.9 … 3.4 °C | 19 |
| March | 12.4 … 22.3 °C | 0 … 7.1 °C | 27 |
| April | 17.8 … 27 °C | 3.9 … 11.3 °C | 19 |
| May | 22.3 … 31.4 °C | 8.6 … 15.5 °C | 17 |
| June | 28.2 … 36.1 °C | 14.4 … 21 °C | 24 |
| July | 29.3 … 36.2 °C | 16.4 … 22.5 °C | 26 |
| August | 27.7 … 34.8 °C | 15.5 … 21.7 °C | 32 |
| September | 24.7 … 32 °C | 12.1 … 18.4 °C | 29 |
| October | 18.1 … 26.8 °C | 6.2 … 12.9 °C | 31 |
| November | 10.7 … 20.1 °C | -0.1 … 6.4 °C | 21 |
| December | 5.6 … 15.6 °C | -3.7 … 2.7 °C | 18 |
Day and night: the lowest … highest monthly average among the cities; rain: the middle city (ERA5 via Open-Meteo).
What to plant month by month: the Southwest
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More about the United States
- Gardening in the United States: climate zones and crops by region
- United States: frost dates by city
- When to plant tomatoes in the United States
- When to plant cucumbers in the United States
- When to plant bell peppers in the United States
- When to plant peas in the United States
- When to plant garlic in the United States
- Gardening by country
