U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00290377 · New Mexico

Frost Dates for Amistad, NM

NOAA weather station Amistad 5 SSW (USC00290377), New Mexico · elevation 4445 ft (1355 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 10only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season172 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Amistad, NMSpring: a frost after April 13 in 9 years out of 10, after April 27 in half of the years, after May 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 4 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before October 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 172 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 27First frost ~Oct 17Frost season at Amistad, NMSpring: a frost after April 13 in 9 years out of 10, after April 27 in half of the years, after May 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 4 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before October 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 172 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 27First frost ~Oct 17
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 10October 4
50% (typical)April 27October 17
90% (likely)April 13October 28
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
172 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 16
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 30 (3 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 18 (1 day later). Frost-free season 170 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Amistad: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 10, 20% May 5, 30% May 2, 40% April 30, 50% April 27, 60% April 23, 70% April 21, 80% April 17, 90% April 13. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 10, 2023 April 24, 2024 April 30, 2025 May 23.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 10Apr 27Apr 132021: May 102023: April 242024: April 302025: May 23Fall at Amistad: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 4, 20% October 8, 30% October 12, 40% October 15, 50% October 17, 60% October 19, 70% October 21, 80% October 24, 90% October 28. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 September 22, 2023 October 14, 2024 October 8.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 4Oct 17Oct 282021: September 222023: October 142024: October 8
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021May 10September 22
2022incomplete recordincomplete record
2023April 24October 14
2024April 30October 8
2025May 23incomplete record
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

October 4 is the cautious fall date in Amistad; there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, making it the preferred day to finish harvesting tender crops.

The 50% dates are April 27 for spring and October 17 for fall, each marking an even odds of a light frost. For a cautious plan, gardeners use May 10 as the spring date with a 10 % chance of frost later, and October 4 as the fall date with a 10 % chance of frost earlier. The earlier spring date of April 13 carries a 90 % chance of frost later and is therefore a gamble, while the later fall date of October 28 carries a 90 % chance of frost earlier and is also a gamble.

Hard frost, defined at 28 °F, is more damaging than light frost (32 °F) because it reaches temperatures that can kill plant tissue, not merely chill it.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 10" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 4" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Amistad, NMNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Dalhart, TX — 37 mi; 2 — Mosquero, NM — 43 mi; 3 — San Jon, NM — 54 mi; 4 — Tucumcari, NM — 55 mi; 5 — Grenville, NM — 55 mi.TXOK50 mi · 80 km1. Dalhart, TX — 37 mi12. Mosquero, NM — 43 mi23. San Jon, NM — 54 mi34. Tucumcari, NM — 55 mi45. Grenville, NM — 55 mi5
  1. Dalhart, TX 37 mi (59 km)
  2. Mosquero, NM 43 mi (69 km)
  3. San Jon, NM 54 mi (86 km)
  4. Tucumcari, NM 55 mi (88 km)
  5. Grenville, NM 55 mi (89 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 35.8742, -103.1819.