When to plant in Loma, CO
Planting dates worked out from Loma's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 11
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 1
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 8
1 year in 10 by Sep 25
Frost-free days
157
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Fruita · 9.3 km away · station 1371 m, town 1374 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 16 – Mar 30 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 5 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 10 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 13 |
| Peas | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | May 14 |
| Bush beans | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jun 23 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | Jun 9 |
| Beet | — | Apr 3 – May 15 | May 23 |
| Potato | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 19 |
| Kale | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 16 |
| Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 2 |
| Cucumber | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jun 30 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jun 25 |
| Winter squash | Apr 13 – Apr 20 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 30 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jul 3 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jul 2 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 24 – Oct 22 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Apr 27 |
| Basil | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 11 – May 25 | Jul 7 |
Loma'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 |
|---|---|
| 1893 | Apr 27 |
| 1903 | May 4 |
| 1904 | Apr 30 |
| 1905 | May 24 |
| 1906 | Jun 8 |
| 1908 | May 18 |
| 1909 | May 17 |
| 1910 | May 22 |
| 1912 | May 14 |
| 1913 | May 15 |
| 1914 | May 9 |
| 1915 | May 7 |
| 1916 | May 26 |
| 1917 | May 7 |
| 1918 | May 30 |
| 1919 | Jun 1 |
| 1921 | Apr 27 |
| 1923 | Jun 1 |
| 1924 | May 8 |
| 1925 | Apr 29 |
| 1926 | Apr 25 |
| 1927 | May 31 |
| 1928 | May 6 |
| 1929 | May 29 |
| 1930 | May 12 |
| 1931 | May 19 |
| 1932 | Apr 28 |
| 1933 | May 14 |
| 1934 | Apr 8 |
| 1935 | May 5 |
| 1936 | May 9 |
| 1937 | May 1 |
| 1938 | May 9 |
| 1939 | Apr 23 |
| 1940 | Apr 13 |
| 1941 | May 30 |
| 1942 | May 17 |
| 1943 | May 19 |
| 1944 | May 4 |
| 1945 | Apr 29 |
| 1946 | May 30 |
| 1947 | Apr 25 |
| 1949 | Apr 17 |
| 1950 | Jun 9 |
| 1951 | May 3 |
| 1952 | Apr 24 |
| 1953 | May 14 |
| 1954 | Jun 7 |
| 1955 | May 28 |
| 1956 | May 15 |
| 1957 | May 22 |
| 1958 | Apr 29 |
| 1959 | Apr 23 |
| 1960 | May 25 |
| 1962 | May 1 |
| 1963 | May 13 |
| 1964 | May 12 |
| 1965 | May 11 |
| 1966 | Apr 29 |
| 1967 | May 15 |
| 1968 | May 17 |
| 1969 | Apr 29 |
| 1970 | May 15 |
| 1971 | May 19 |
| 1972 | May 3 |
| 1973 | Jun 19 |
| 1974 | May 22 |
| 1975 | May 6 |
| 1976 | Jun 14 |
| 1977 | May 19 |
| 1978 | May 8 |
| 1979 | May 12 |
| 1980 | May 26 |
| 1981 | May 9 |
| 1982 | May 15 |
| 1987 | Apr 24 |
| 1989 | May 1 |
| 1990 | Jun 2 |
| 1992 | Apr 25 |
| 1993 | May 2 |
| 1994 | Apr 29 |
| 1995 | May 13 |
| 2000 | May 14 |
| 2002 | May 9 |
| 2003 | May 6 |
| 2004 | Apr 11 |
| 2005 | Apr 30 |
| 2006 | Apr 25 |
| 2008 | May 3 |
| 2009 | Apr 27 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 3 |
| 2019 | May 3 |
| 2020 | Apr 18 |
| 2021 | Apr 25 |
| 2022 | May 1 |
| 2023 | Apr 22 |
| 2024 | May 8 |
| 2025 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 130 |
| 1904 | 150 |
| 1905 | 129 |
| 1906 | 117 |
| 1908 | 131 |
| 1909 | 127 |
| 1910 | 132 |
| 1913 | 128 |
| 1914 | 148 |
| 1915 | 150 |
| 1916 | 125 |
| 1917 | 141 |
| 1918 | 147 |
| 1919 | 114 |
| 1921 | 146 |
| 1924 | 135 |
| 1925 | 153 |
| 1926 | 150 |
| 1927 | 118 |
| 1928 | 131 |
| 1929 | 102 |
| 1930 | 137 |
| 1931 | 146 |
| 1932 | 159 |
| 1933 | 153 |
| 1934 | 172 |
| 1935 | 164 |
| 1936 | 142 |
| 1937 | 147 |
| 1938 | 159 |
| 1939 | 164 |
| 1940 | 173 |
| 1941 | 129 |
| 1942 | 125 |
| 1943 | 146 |
| 1944 | 168 |
| 1945 | 148 |
| 1946 | 115 |
| 1947 | 182 |
| 1949 | 175 |
| 1950 | 114 |
| 1951 | 131 |
| 1952 | 161 |
| 1953 | 142 |
| 1954 | 128 |
| 1955 | 130 |
| 1956 | 130 |
| 1957 | 122 |
| 1958 | 148 |
| 1959 | 157 |
| 1960 | 143 |
| 1963 | 153 |
| 1964 | 142 |
| 1965 | 132 |
| 1966 | 167 |
| 1967 | 144 |
| 1968 | 128 |
| 1969 | 158 |
| 1970 | 133 |
| 1971 | 121 |
| 1972 | 172 |
| 1973 | 99 |
| 1974 | 128 |
| 1975 | 136 |
| 1976 | 114 |
| 1977 | 134 |
| 1978 | 134 |
| 1979 | 162 |
| 1980 | 119 |
| 1981 | 161 |
| 1982 | 135 |
| 1989 | 156 |
| 1990 | 127 |
| 1992 | 165 |
| 1993 | 170 |
| 1994 | 146 |
| 2002 | 156 |
| 2003 | 157 |
| 2005 | 183 |
| 2006 | 144 |
| 2009 | 155 |
| 2010 | 169 |
| 2019 | 153 |
| 2020 | 177 |
| 2021 | 173 |
| 2022 | 173 |
| 2023 | 185 |
| 2024 | 175 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1893 | 18.9 °C |
| 1903 | 17.7 °C |
| 1905 | 18.0 °C |
| 1906 | 17.7 °C |
| 1908 | 17.4 °C |
| 1909 | 17.6 °C |
| 1910 | 19.8 °C |
| 1911 | 18.3 °C |
| 1912 | 16.5 °C |
| 1913 | 18.3 °C |
| 1914 | 18.3 °C |
| 1915 | 18.0 °C |
| 1916 | 17.6 °C |
| 1917 | 17.6 °C |
| 1918 | 18.2 °C |
| 1919 | 19.4 °C |
| 1920 | 17.5 °C |
| 1921 | 18.1 °C |
| 1922 | 18.7 °C |
| 1923 | 18.1 °C |
| 1924 | 18.1 °C |
| 1925 | 19.0 °C |
| 1926 | 18.8 °C |
| 1927 | 17.9 °C |
| 1928 | 18.3 °C |
| 1929 | 17.6 °C |
| 1930 | 18.7 °C |
| 1931 | 20.1 °C |
| 1932 | 19.5 °C |
| 1933 | 19.6 °C |
| 1934 | 20.9 °C |
| 1935 | 19.8 °C |
| 1936 | 20.6 °C |
| 1937 | 19.6 °C |
| 1938 | 19.0 °C |
| 1939 | 19.3 °C |
| 1940 | 19.8 °C |
| 1941 | 18.3 °C |
| 1942 | 19.1 °C |
| 1943 | 19.5 °C |
| 1944 | 18.5 °C |
| 1945 | 18.3 °C |
| 1946 | 19.4 °C |
| 1947 | 19.0 °C |
| 1948 | 18.8 °C |
| 1949 | 18.1 °C |
| 1950 | 17.4 °C |
| 1951 | 17.7 °C |
| 1952 | 18.9 °C |
| 1953 | 17.7 °C |
| 1954 | 18.7 °C |
| 1955 | 18.2 °C |
| 1956 | 18.4 °C |
| 1957 | 17.2 °C |
| 1958 | 18.7 °C |
| 1959 | 18.8 °C |
| 1960 | 19.2 °C |
| 1962 | 18.5 °C |
| 1963 | 19.2 °C |
| 1964 | 18.3 °C |
| 1965 | 17.1 °C |
| 1966 | 18.7 °C |
| 1967 | 18.0 °C |
| 1968 | 17.2 °C |
| 1969 | 19.2 °C |
| 1970 | 18.1 °C |
| 1971 | 18.0 °C |
| 1972 | 18.6 °C |
| 1973 | 17.4 °C |
| 1974 | 18.3 °C |
| 1975 | 17.2 °C |
| 1976 | 18.7 °C |
| 1977 | 19.6 °C |
| 1978 | 18.4 °C |
| 1979 | 18.1 °C |
| 1980 | 18.1 °C |
| 1981 | 19.6 °C |
| 1982 | 18.1 °C |
| 1987 | 18.1 °C |
| 1989 | 18.6 °C |
| 1990 | 18.9 °C |
| 1992 | 18.7 °C |
| 1993 | 17.5 °C |
| 1994 | 18.5 °C |
| 1995 | 16.0 °C |
| 2000 | 20.4 °C |
| 2002 | 20.0 °C |
| 2003 | 20.0 °C |
| 2005 | 19.0 °C |
| 2006 | 19.6 °C |
| 2008 | 18.6 °C |
| 2009 | 18.9 °C |
| 2010 | 19.1 °C |
| 2011 | 18.7 °C |
| 2019 | 20.0 °C |
| 2020 | 20.5 °C |
| 2021 | 20.8 °C |
| 2022 | 20.3 °C |
| 2023 | 19.6 °C |
| 2025 | 19.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1893, Loma'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 Fruita (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.