Taos, NM 87553 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Taos, NM?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/19, roughly 264 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/03, about 136 frost-free days later.
Taos sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 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 37,674 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NM, it ranks 342 of 427.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Taos's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Taos's dates instead of trusting one.