Carrizozo, NM 88301 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Carrizozo, NM?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/27, about 242 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/20, about 175 frost-free days later.
Carrizozo sits in USDA Zone 7a (0 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 8 weeks of growing season left in Carrizozo 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
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/11 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Carrizozo compares
Carrizozo's growing season runs about 175 days, ranking 27,092 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NM, it ranks 206 of 427.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Carrizozo can differ from the 88301 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and Carrizozo's frost date answer different questions.