Rawlins, WY 82301 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rawlins, WY?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/17, about 262 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/02, about 138 frost-free days later.
Rawlins sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Rawlins before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/17 isn't a guarantee
05/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/31 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rawlins compares
Rawlins's growing season runs about 138 days, ranking 37,375 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WY, it ranks 34 of 192.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Rawlins can differ from the 82301 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Rawlins's frost date answer different questions.