When to plant in Buena Vista, CO

Planting dates worked out from Buena Vista's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMay 149 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalMay 29about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outJun 131 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

EarlySep 81 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalSep 20about half of years have had frost
LateOct 39 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 114 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Buena Vista 2s · 2.0 km away · station 2424 m, town 2421 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Apr 18 – May 2	Jun 13 – Jun 27	Aug 7
Sweet pepper	Apr 4 – Apr 18	Jun 13 – Jun 27	Aug 12
Lettuce (leaf)	Mar 27 – Apr 3	May 1 – May 15	Jun 10
Peas	—	Apr 22 – May 20	Jun 16
Bush beans	—	Jun 6 – Jun 27	Jul 26
Carrot	—	May 8 – Jun 19	Jul 7
Beet	—	May 3 – Jun 14	Jun 22
Potato	—	May 8 – May 29	Jul 17
Kale	Mar 20 – Apr 3	May 1 – May 15	Jun 13
Broccoli	Mar 20 – Apr 3	May 1 – May 22	Jun 30
Cucumber	May 16 – May 23	Jun 13 – Jun 27	Aug 2
Summer squash and zucchini	May 16 – May 23	Jun 13 – Jun 27	Jul 28
Winter squash	May 16 – May 23	Jun 13 – Jun 27	Sep 1
Sweet corn	—	Jun 6 – Jun 27	Aug 5
Onion (from sets)	—	May 1 – May 22	Jul 30
Garlic	—	Sep 6 – Oct 4 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 22 – May 20	May 30
Basil	May 2 – May 16	Jun 13 – Jun 27	Aug 9

Plan all 65 crops for Buena Vista

Buena Vista's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Last spring frost
1907	Jun 27
1909	Jun 16
1910	Jun 11
1911	Jun 6
1912	Jun 19
1913	May 29
1914	Jun 9
1915	Jun 15
1916	Jun 21
1918	Jun 8
1920	Jun 22
1921	Jun 19
1922	Jun 1
1923	Jun 21
1925	Jun 6
1927	Jun 3
1929	Jun 18
1930	Jun 5
1932	Jun 11
1933	Jun 8
1934	Jun 2
1935	Jun 18
1936	Jun 3
1937	Jun 13
1938	Jun 14
1939	Jun 19
1940	Jun 9
1941	Jun 9
1943	Jun 5
1945	Jun 18
1946	Jun 1
1948	Jul 7
1951	Jun 11
1952	May 28
1954	Jun 8
1955	Jun 5
1956	May 16
1957	May 28
1958	May 9
1959	Jun 2
1961	Jun 4
1962	Jun 1
1963	Jun 10
1964	Jun 3
1965	May 28
1966	Jun 3
1967	May 21
1968	May 24
1969	Jun 12
1970	Jun 5
1972	May 24
1973	Jun 21
1977	May 28
1978	May 28
1979	Jun 9
1980	Jun 1
1981	Jun 15
1982	Jun 6
1983	Jun 13
1984	Jun 8
1985	Jun 26
1986	May 18
1987	May 29
1988	May 30
1989	May 21
1990	May 31
1991	Jun 11
1992	Jun 2
1993	Jun 19
1994	May 21
1996	May 29
1997	May 27
1998	Jun 11
1999	Jun 7
2000	May 27
2001	Jun 16
2002	Jun 5
2003	May 21
2004	May 15
2005	Jun 11
2006	May 12
2007	Jun 8
2008	Jun 12
2009	Apr 30
2010	May 27
2011	May 22
2012	May 14
2013	May 20
2014	May 16
2015	May 24
2016	May 28
2017	May 28
2018	May 4
2019	Jun 23
2020	May 26
2021	May 24
2022	May 31
2023	May 6
2024	May 22
2025	May 20
2026	May 21

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1907	74
1910	75
1911	92
1913	110
1914	84
1916	82
1920	75
1922	102
1923	88
1925	98
1929	82
1930	112
1932	89
1934	92
1935	81
1936	103
1937	102
1939	102
1940	114
1945	83
1948	83
1952	96
1954	127
1955	107
1956	108
1957	113
1958	129
1959	117
1961	90
1962	98
1965	111
1966	103
1967	114
1968	91
1969	101
1970	101
1972	114
1977	115
1978	114
1979	97
1980	112
1981	112
1982	119
1983	97
1984	108
1985	85
1986	114
1987	106
1988	107
1989	114
1990	110
1992	85
1993	75
1994	116
1996	100
1997	119
1998	101
2000	116
2001	83
2002	110
2003	112
2004	129
2005	95
2007	108
2008	102
2009	144
2010	134
2011	121
2012	126
2013	131
2014	119
2015	144
2016	104
2017	127
2018	144
2019	101
2020	105
2021	119
2022	129
2023	152
2024	146
2025	137

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1907	10.1 °C
1908	12.0 °C
1910	11.8 °C
1912	9.1 °C
1913	11.5 °C
1914	12.1 °C
1916	11.6 °C
1920	10.9 °C
1921	10.0 °C
1922	10.8 °C
1923	9.1 °C
1925	11.3 °C
1929	12.3 °C
1930	12.5 °C
1932	13.1 °C
1934	13.3 °C
1935	11.4 °C
1936	12.8 °C
1937	11.6 °C
1939	13.8 °C
1940	13.9 °C
1943	13.3 °C
1945	12.4 °C
1946	13.3 °C
1948	11.9 °C
1951	12.4 °C
1952	12.6 °C
1954	14.8 °C
1955	12.3 °C
1956	14.1 °C
1957	12.7 °C
1958	14.0 °C
1959	13.8 °C
1961	12.8 °C
1962	13.3 °C
1963	13.8 °C
1964	12.8 °C
1965	12.3 °C
1966	13.7 °C
1967	13.0 °C
1968	12.5 °C
1969	14.2 °C
1970	12.8 °C
1972	13.4 °C
1977	13.8 °C
1978	13.0 °C
1980	13.1 °C
1981	13.9 °C
1982	12.7 °C
1983	12.2 °C
1984	12.9 °C
1985	13.4 °C
1986	12.8 °C
1987	13.4 °C
1988	13.6 °C
1989	13.6 °C
1990	13.3 °C
1992	12.9 °C
1993	12.2 °C
1994	13.3 °C
1996	13.0 °C
1997	11.7 °C
1998	10.8 °C
1999	12.2 °C
2000	14.4 °C
2001	14.3 °C
2002	14.8 °C
2003	13.8 °C
2004	13.4 °C
2005	14.3 °C
2007	14.1 °C
2008	13.4 °C
2009	13.6 °C
2010	14.2 °C
2011	14.2 °C
2012	15.2 °C
2013	14.1 °C
2014	13.8 °C
2015	14.1 °C
2016	14.2 °C
2017	14.3 °C
2018	15.3 °C
2019	13.9 °C
2020	14.5 °C
2021	14.3 °C
2022	14.3 °C
2023	14.1 °C
2024	14.2 °C
2025	14.1 °C
2026	15.4 °C

What this means for you: Since 1907, Buena Vista's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Buena Vista 2s (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

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