When to plant in Durango, CO
Planting dates worked out from Durango's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 7
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 19
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 2
1 year in 10 by Sep 21
Frost-free days
137
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Durango · 2.7 km away · station 2061 m, town 1991 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 12 – Apr 26 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | May 31 |
| Peas | — | Apr 7 – May 5 | Jun 1 |
| Bush beans | — | May 31 – Jun 21 | Jul 20 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 28 – Jun 9 | Jun 27 |
| Beet | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 10 |
| Potato | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jul 7 |
| Kale | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 3 |
| Broccoli | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 20 |
| Cucumber | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Jul 27 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Jul 22 |
| Winter squash | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 26 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 31 – Jun 21 | Jul 30 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jul 20 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 18 – Oct 16 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 7 – May 5 | May 15 |
| Basil | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 3 |
Durango'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 |
|---|---|
| 1992 | May 11 |
| 1993 | May 9 |
| 1994 | May 2 |
| 1995 | Jun 18 |
| 1996 | Apr 30 |
| 1997 | May 3 |
| 1998 | Jun 6 |
| 1999 | Jun 5 |
| 2000 | May 5 |
| 2001 | Jun 14 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | May 11 |
| 2004 | May 24 |
| 2005 | Jun 4 |
| 2006 | May 10 |
| 2007 | Jun 7 |
| 2008 | May 27 |
| 2009 | Apr 26 |
| 2010 | May 18 |
| 2011 | May 24 |
| 2013 | May 6 |
| 2014 | May 16 |
| 2015 | May 12 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 137 |
| 1993 | 161 |
| 1994 | 156 |
| 1995 | 95 |
| 1996 | 141 |
| 1997 | 161 |
| 1998 | 120 |
| 1999 | 115 |
| 2000 | 140 |
| 2001 | 117 |
| 2002 | 131 |
| 2003 | 156 |
| 2004 | 120 |
| 2005 | 129 |
| 2006 | 129 |
| 2007 | 114 |
| 2008 | 131 |
| 2009 | 147 |
| 2010 | 144 |
| 2011 | 140 |
| 2013 | 150 |
| 2014 | 137 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 15.6 °C |
| 1993 | 14.9 °C |
| 1994 | 16.4 °C |
| 1995 | 14.8 °C |
| 1996 | 16.9 °C |
| 1997 | 15.8 °C |
| 1998 | 16.0 °C |
| 1999 | 14.9 °C |
| 2000 | 17.7 °C |
| 2001 | 17.3 °C |
| 2002 | 17.7 °C |
| 2003 | 17.1 °C |
| 2004 | 16.1 °C |
| 2005 | 16.4 °C |
| 2006 | 16.7 °C |
| 2007 | 17.0 °C |
| 2008 | 15.9 °C |
| 2009 | 15.6 °C |
| 2010 | 15.7 °C |
| 2011 | 15.7 °C |
| 2013 | 15.5 °C |
| 2014 | 16.2 °C |
| 2015 | 15.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Durango (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.