When to plant in Center, CO
Planting dates worked out from Center's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 17
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Jun 2
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 19
1 year in 10 by Sep 8
Frost-free days
106
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Center 4 Ssw · 6.0 km away · station 2339 m, town 2330 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 17 – Jul 1 | Aug 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | Jun 17 – Jul 1 | Aug 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 14 |
| Peas | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | Jun 15 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 10 – Jul 1 | Jul 30 |
| Carrot | — | May 12 – Jun 23 | Jul 11 |
| Beet | — | May 5 – Jun 16 | Jun 24 |
| Potato | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 21 |
| Kale | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 17 |
| Broccoli | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 4 |
| Cucumber | May 20 – May 27 | Jun 17 – Jul 1 | Aug 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 20 – May 27 | Jun 17 – Jul 1 | Aug 1 |
| Winter squash | May 20 – May 27 | Jun 17 – Jul 1 | Sep 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 10 – Jul 1 | Aug 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | May 5 – May 26 | Aug 3 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 5 – Oct 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | May 29 |
| Basil | May 6 – May 20 | Jun 17 – Jul 1 | Aug 13 |
Center'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 |
|---|---|
| 1942 | Jun 28 |
| 1944 | May 20 |
| 1945 | Jun 17 |
| 1946 | Jun 1 |
| 1947 | Jun 13 |
| 1949 | Jun 2 |
| 1950 | Jun 9 |
| 1951 | Jun 11 |
| 1952 | May 23 |
| 1953 | Jun 3 |
| 1954 | Jun 8 |
| 1955 | Jun 19 |
| 1956 | May 16 |
| 1957 | Jun 22 |
| 1958 | Jun 13 |
| 1959 | Jun 4 |
| 1960 | May 26 |
| 1961 | Jun 4 |
| 1962 | Jun 16 |
| 1963 | Jun 9 |
| 1964 | May 29 |
| 1965 | Jun 26 |
| 1966 | May 19 |
| 1967 | May 16 |
| 1968 | Jun 9 |
| 1969 | Jun 27 |
| 1970 | Jun 16 |
| 1971 | Jun 9 |
| 1972 | May 25 |
| 1973 | Jun 19 |
| 1974 | Jun 9 |
| 1975 | Jun 26 |
| 1976 | Jun 25 |
| 1977 | Jun 21 |
| 1978 | Jun 9 |
| 1979 | Jun 20 |
| 1980 | Jun 15 |
| 1981 | Jun 16 |
| 1982 | Jul 6 |
| 1983 | Jun 14 |
| 1984 | Jun 10 |
| 1985 | May 21 |
| 1986 | May 18 |
| 1987 | May 30 |
| 1988 | Jun 1 |
| 1989 | Jun 4 |
| 1990 | Jun 2 |
| 1991 | Jul 5 |
| 1992 | Jun 17 |
| 1993 | Jun 8 |
| 1995 | Jun 8 |
| 1996 | May 29 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1998 | Jun 18 |
| 1999 | Jun 6 |
| 2000 | May 21 |
| 2001 | Jun 14 |
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | May 12 |
| 2004 | May 31 |
| 2005 | Jun 4 |
| 2006 | May 11 |
| 2007 | Jun 8 |
| 2008 | Jun 13 |
| 2009 | May 3 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1942 | 80 |
| 1944 | 104 |
| 1945 | 87 |
| 1946 | 110 |
| 1947 | 90 |
| 1949 | 109 |
| 1950 | 94 |
| 1951 | 96 |
| 1952 | 112 |
| 1953 | 92 |
| 1954 | 101 |
| 1955 | 84 |
| 1956 | 104 |
| 1957 | 78 |
| 1958 | 93 |
| 1959 | 87 |
| 1960 | 112 |
| 1961 | 90 |
| 1962 | 71 |
| 1963 | 111 |
| 1964 | 83 |
| 1965 | 66 |
| 1966 | 119 |
| 1967 | 120 |
| 1968 | 87 |
| 1969 | 82 |
| 1970 | 82 |
| 1971 | 86 |
| 1972 | 118 |
| 1973 | 75 |
| 1974 | 85 |
| 1975 | 85 |
| 1976 | 68 |
| 1977 | 67 |
| 1978 | 66 |
| 1979 | 61 |
| 1980 | 65 |
| 1981 | 93 |
| 1982 | 69 |
| 1983 | 98 |
| 1984 | 109 |
| 1985 | 124 |
| 1986 | 115 |
| 1987 | 104 |
| 1988 | 107 |
| 1989 | 96 |
| 1990 | 122 |
| 1991 | 72 |
| 1992 | 68 |
| 1993 | 97 |
| 1995 | 104 |
| 1996 | 112 |
| 1997 | 133 |
| 1998 | 95 |
| 1999 | 113 |
| 2000 | 125 |
| 2001 | 85 |
| 2002 | 124 |
| 2003 | 124 |
| 2004 | 113 |
| 2005 | 104 |
| 2007 | 108 |
| 2008 | 86 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1942 | 12.4 °C |
| 1943 | 14.8 °C |
| 1944 | 12.7 °C |
| 1945 | 12.9 °C |
| 1946 | 13.9 °C |
| 1947 | 13.1 °C |
| 1949 | 13.0 °C |
| 1950 | 12.3 °C |
| 1951 | 13.7 °C |
| 1952 | 13.8 °C |
| 1953 | 12.9 °C |
| 1954 | 14.6 °C |
| 1955 | 13.1 °C |
| 1956 | 13.9 °C |
| 1957 | 12.3 °C |
| 1958 | 13.4 °C |
| 1959 | 12.4 °C |
| 1960 | 13.3 °C |
| 1961 | 13.0 °C |
| 1962 | 12.9 °C |
| 1963 | 13.9 °C |
| 1964 | 13.2 °C |
| 1965 | 12.2 °C |
| 1966 | 13.5 °C |
| 1967 | 12.8 °C |
| 1968 | 12.3 °C |
| 1969 | 13.8 °C |
| 1970 | 12.6 °C |
| 1971 | 11.6 °C |
| 1972 | 11.9 °C |
| 1973 | 11.8 °C |
| 1974 | 12.3 °C |
| 1975 | 11.4 °C |
| 1976 | 11.3 °C |
| 1977 | 12.4 °C |
| 1978 | 11.4 °C |
| 1979 | 11.7 °C |
| 1980 | 11.6 °C |
| 1981 | 12.6 °C |
| 1982 | 11.5 °C |
| 1983 | 12.0 °C |
| 1984 | 13.2 °C |
| 1985 | 12.9 °C |
| 1986 | 12.6 °C |
| 1987 | 12.6 °C |
| 1988 | 12.9 °C |
| 1989 | 13.4 °C |
| 1990 | 12.7 °C |
| 1991 | 12.6 °C |
| 1992 | 12.6 °C |
| 1993 | 12.1 °C |
| 1995 | 12.1 °C |
| 1996 | 13.5 °C |
| 1997 | 12.9 °C |
| 1998 | 13.3 °C |
| 1999 | 12.4 °C |
| 2000 | 14.1 °C |
| 2001 | 14.3 °C |
| 2002 | 14.4 °C |
| 2003 | 14.1 °C |
| 2004 | 13.1 °C |
| 2005 | 13.9 °C |
| 2007 | 14.3 °C |
| 2008 | 12.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1942, Center's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Center 4 Ssw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.