Chama, NM 87518 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chama, NM?
Around 06/13 is the usual last spring frost, about 289 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/18, about 94 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Chama in Zone 5b (-15 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 3 weeks of growing season left in Chama before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 06/13 isn't a guarantee
06/13 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/31 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 07/01 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chama compares
About 94 days separate Chama's last and first frost, putting it 39,839 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NM, it ranks 409 of 427.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Chama's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Chama's dates instead of trusting one.