When to plant in La Junta, CO
Planting dates worked out from La Junta's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 12
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 28
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 12
1 year in 10 by Sep 29
Frost-free days
166
median, 1991–2020
Station used: La Junta · 0.3 km away · station 1246 m, town 1243 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 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 6 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 11 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 10 |
| Peas | — | Mar 17 – Apr 14 | May 11 |
| Bush beans | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 7 – May 19 | Jun 6 |
| Beet | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 20 |
| Potato | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jun 16 |
| Kale | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 13 |
| Broccoli | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | May 30 |
| Cucumber | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 1 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jun 26 |
| Winter squash | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 31 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 4 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 29 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 28 – Oct 26 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 17 – Apr 14 | Apr 24 |
| Basil | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 8 |
La Junta'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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Apr 30 |
| 1997 | Apr 27 |
| 1999 | May 7 |
| 2000 | Apr 17 |
| 2001 | Apr 24 |
| 2002 | Apr 23 |
| 2003 | Apr 30 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 2 |
| 2006 | Apr 27 |
| 2007 | Apr 27 |
| 2008 | May 12 |
| 2009 | Apr 9 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 6 |
| 2013 | May 5 |
| 2014 | May 15 |
| 2015 | May 11 |
| 2016 | May 3 |
| 2017 | May 4 |
| 2018 | Apr 25 |
| 2019 | Apr 19 |
| 2020 | Apr 18 |
| 2021 | Apr 27 |
| 2022 | May 22 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | May 8 |
| 2025 | Apr 20 |
| 2026 | May 7 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 150 |
| 1997 | 180 |
| 2000 | 160 |
| 2001 | 164 |
| 2002 | 172 |
| 2003 | 166 |
| 2004 | 177 |
| 2005 | 157 |
| 2007 | 174 |
| 2008 | 164 |
| 2009 | 175 |
| 2010 | 166 |
| 2011 | 161 |
| 2012 | 184 |
| 2013 | 152 |
| 2014 | 166 |
| 2015 | 172 |
| 2016 | 170 |
| 2017 | 158 |
| 2018 | 169 |
| 2019 | 174 |
| 2020 | 143 |
| 2021 | 171 |
| 2022 | 143 |
| 2023 | 169 |
| 2024 | 175 |
| 2025 | 181 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 21.1 °C |
| 1997 | 20.3 °C |
| 1998 | 21.0 °C |
| 2000 | 21.5 °C |
| 2001 | 21.4 °C |
| 2002 | 22.0 °C |
| 2003 | 21.3 °C |
| 2004 | 20.0 °C |
| 2005 | 20.7 °C |
| 2007 | 20.3 °C |
| 2008 | 20.1 °C |
| 2009 | 20.0 °C |
| 2010 | 20.6 °C |
| 2011 | 21.0 °C |
| 2012 | 21.5 °C |
| 2013 | 19.7 °C |
| 2014 | 19.0 °C |
| 2015 | 19.8 °C |
| 2016 | 19.4 °C |
| 2017 | 19.2 °C |
| 2018 | 20.6 °C |
| 2019 | 20.1 °C |
| 2020 | 20.4 °C |
| 2021 | 19.8 °C |
| 2022 | 20.1 °C |
| 2023 | 19.5 °C |
| 2024 | 21.4 °C |
| 2025 | 20.6 °C |
| 2026 | 21.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1996, La Junta's last spring frost has come about 2 days later per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from La Junta (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.