U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00290600 · New Mexico

Frost Dates for Artesia, NM

NOAA weather station Artesia 6 S (USC00290600), New Mexico · elevation 3366 ft (1026 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 26only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season198 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Artesia, NMSpring: a frost after March 27 in 9 years out of 10, after April 11 in half of the years, after April 26 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 198 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 11First frost ~Oct 29Frost season at Artesia, NMSpring: a frost after March 27 in 9 years out of 10, after April 11 in half of the years, after April 26 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 198 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 11First frost ~Oct 29
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)April 26October 16
50% (typical)April 11October 29
90% (likely)March 27November 9
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
198 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 29
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 14 (3 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 29. Frost-free season 198 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 Artesia: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 26, 20% April 22, 30% April 18, 40% April 15, 50% April 11, 60% April 8, 70% April 6, 80% April 2, 90% March 27. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 1, 2022 April 10, 2024 April 10, 2025 March 31, 2026 April 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 26Apr 11Mar 272021: April 12022: April 102024: April 102025: March 312026: April 20Fall at Artesia: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 16, 20% October 20, 30% October 23, 40% October 26, 50% October 29, 60% October 31, 70% November 2, 80% November 5, 90% November 9. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 16, 2022 October 25, 2024 November 9, 2025 October 29.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 16Oct 29Nov 92021: October 162022: October 252024: November 92025: October 29
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
2021April 1October 16
2022April 10October 25
2023incomplete recordincomplete record
2024April 10November 9
2025March 31October 29
2026April 20season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Artesia for finishing the harvest is October 16, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived. After that date the risk of a frost rises quickly, so tender crops should be pulled by then.

The 50% light-frost dates are April 11 in spring and October 29 in fall; on each of those days there is an even chance of a frost occurring later (spring) or earlier (fall). For a conservative plan, the spring cautious date is April 26, which carries a 10 % chance of a later frost, while the fall cautious date is the already-mentioned October 16, with a 10 % chance of an earlier frost.

The median hard-frost dates are March 29 for spring and November 5 for fall; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage or kill plants that would survive a light frost at 32 °F, making it a more critical temperature threshold for gardeners.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 26" 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 16" 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 Artesia, NMNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Carlsbad, NM — 30 mi; 2 — Carlsbad (Cavern City Airport), NM — 30 mi; 3 — near Roswell, NM — 39 mi; 4 — Waste Isolt'n Pilot Plant, NM — 43 mi; 5 — Elk, NM — 57 mi.NM25 mi · 40 km1. Carlsbad, NM — 30 mi12. Carlsbad (Cavern City Airport), NM — 30 mi23. near Roswell, NM — 39 mi34. Waste Isolt'n Pilot Plant, NM — 43 mi45. Elk, NM — 57 mi5
  1. Carlsbad, NM 30 mi (48 km)
  2. Carlsbad (Cavern City Airport), NM 30 mi (48 km)
  3. near Roswell, NM 39 mi (63 km)
  4. Waste Isolt'n Pilot Plant, NM 43 mi (69 km)
  5. Elk, NM 57 mi (91 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 32.7547, -104.3836.