Rye, CO 81023 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Rye, CO, ZIP 81023
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/05, about 250 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 156 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 Rye, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 6a around Rye has about 6 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 05/05 isn't a guarantee
05/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/22 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/20 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rye compares
Rye's growing season runs about 156 days, ranking 33,850 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CO, it ranks 233 of 624.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Rye's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Rye can differ from the 81023 normal.