Albuquerque, NM 87116 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Albuquerque, NM?
Around 04/06 is the usual last spring frost, about 221 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/03, about 208 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Albuquerque in Zone 7b (5 to 10°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Albuquerque 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
04/06 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/23 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Albuquerque compares
Albuquerque's growing season runs about 208 days, ranking 15,482 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NM, it ranks 96 of 427.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Albuquerque can differ from the 87116 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Albuquerque's frost date answer different questions.