When to plant in Fowler, CO
Planting dates worked out from Fowler's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 269 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalMay 7about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outMay 171 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
- EarlyOct 31 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 10about half of years have had frost
- LateOct 169 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 154 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Ordway 4 W · 20.0 km away · station 1326 m, town 1323 m. How we match towns to stations
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 19 |
| Peas | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | May 20 |
| Bush beans | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jun 29 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 16 – May 28 | Jun 15 |
| Beet | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | May 29 |
| Potato | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 25 |
| Kale | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 22 |
| Broccoli | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 8 |
| Cucumber | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 1 |
| Winter squash | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Aug 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jul 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jul 8 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 26 – Oct 24 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | May 3 |
| Basil | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 13 |
Fowler's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1981 | May 19 |
| 1982 | May 8 |
| 1983 | May 16 |
| 1984 | Jun 7 |
| 1985 | Apr 30 |
| 1989 | May 1 |
| 1990 | May 7 |
| 1991 | May 5 |
| 1993 | May 3 |
| 1996 | May 1 |
| 1997 | Apr 28 |
| 1998 | Apr 30 |
| 2003 | May 10 |
| 2006 | May 11 |
| 2007 | Jun 8 |
| 2008 | May 13 |
| 2009 | Apr 20 |
| 2010 | May 14 |
| 2011 | May 16 |
| 2012 | Apr 17 |
| 2013 | May 6 |
| 2014 | May 14 |
| 2016 | May 2 |
| 2017 | May 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 27 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | May 12 |
| 2022 | May 22 |
| 2023 | Apr 28 |
| 2024 | Apr 22 |
| 2025 | Apr 21 |
| 2026 | Apr 24 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 150 |
| 1982 | 151 |
| 1983 | 127 |
| 1984 | 112 |
| 1985 | 144 |
| 1990 | 153 |
| 1991 | 152 |
| 1993 | 159 |
| 2003 | 154 |
| 2006 | 151 |
| 2007 | 114 |
| 2008 | 155 |
| 2010 | 158 |
| 2011 | 151 |
| 2012 | 167 |
| 2013 | 150 |
| 2016 | 157 |
| 2017 | 139 |
| 2020 | 154 |
| 2021 | 156 |
| 2022 | 143 |
| 2023 | 168 |
| 2024 | 176 |
| 2025 | 180 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 20.4 °C |
| 1982 | 19.2 °C |
| 1984 | 19.5 °C |
| 1990 | 19.8 °C |
| 1991 | 19.6 °C |
| 1993 | 19.1 °C |
| 1996 | 20.0 °C |
| 1998 | 20.5 °C |
| 2002 | 21.3 °C |
| 2003 | 20.4 °C |
| 2006 | 19.5 °C |
| 2007 | 19.1 °C |
| 2008 | 19.1 °C |
| 2010 | 19.7 °C |
| 2011 | 20.6 °C |
| 2012 | 20.8 °C |
| 2013 | 19.6 °C |
| 2014 | 19.6 °C |
| 2015 | 20.7 °C |
| 2016 | 19.7 °C |
| 2017 | 18.9 °C |
| 2018 | 20.3 °C |
| 2019 | 20.9 °C |
| 2020 | 20.1 °C |
| 2021 | 19.5 °C |
| 2022 | 19.9 °C |
| 2023 | 19.4 °C |
| 2024 | 20.5 °C |
| 2025 | 19.7 °C |
| 2026 | 21.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1981, Fowler's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Ordway 4 W (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.