Lakewood, CO 80226 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lakewood, CO?
Around 05/03 is the usual last spring frost, about 248 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/07, about 155 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Lakewood, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Lakewood before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
05/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/19 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/18 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lakewood compares
Lakewood's growing season runs about 155 days, ranking 33,897 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CO, it ranks 237 of 624.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Lakewood can differ from the 80226 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Lakewood's frost date answer different questions.