Tularosa, NM 88352 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Tularosa, NM?
Around 04/05 is the usual last spring frost, about 220 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/04, about 212 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Tularosa in Zone 8a (10 to 15°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 10 weeks of growing season left in Tularosa 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
04/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/22 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Tularosa compares
At roughly 212 frost-free days, Tularosa places 14,610 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within NM, it ranks 83 of 427.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Tularosa's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Tularosa's dates instead of trusting one.