Ruidoso, NM 88345 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ruidoso, NM?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/11, roughly 256 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/05, about 147 frost-free days later.
Zone 7a (0 to 5°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 Ruidoso, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Ruidoso 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
05/11 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/30 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/22 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ruidoso compares
Ruidoso's growing season runs about 147 days, ranking 35,883 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NM, it ranks 299 of 427.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Ruidoso's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Ruidoso can differ from the 88345 normal.