Taos, NM 87513 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Taos, NM?
Around 05/19 is the usual last spring frost, about 264 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/03, about 136 frost-free days later.
Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 Taos, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Taos before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/19 isn't a guarantee
05/19 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/07 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 Taos compares
Taos's growing season runs about 136 days, ranking 37,669 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NM, it ranks 337 of 427.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Taos's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Taos can differ from the 87513 normal.