When to plant in Ouray, CO
Planting dates worked out from Ouray's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 11
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 24
1 year in 10 by Sep 11
Frost-free days
125
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ouray · 0.3 km away · station 2390 m, town 2375 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 16 – Apr 30 | Jun 11 – Jun 25 | Aug 5 |
| Sweet pepper | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | Jun 11 – Jun 25 | Aug 10 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 6 |
| Peas | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | Jun 15 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 4 – Jun 25 | Jul 24 |
| Carrot | — | May 4 – Jun 15 | Jul 3 |
| Beet | — | May 2 – Jun 13 | Jun 21 |
| Potato | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jul 13 |
| Kale | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 10 |
| Broccoli | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 26 |
| Cucumber | May 14 – May 21 | Jun 11 – Jun 25 | Jul 31 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 14 – May 21 | Jun 11 – Jun 25 | Jul 26 |
| Winter squash | May 14 – May 21 | Jun 11 – Jun 25 | Aug 30 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 4 – Jun 25 | Aug 3 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jul 26 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 10 – Oct 8 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | May 29 |
| Basil | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 11 – Jun 25 | Aug 7 |
Ouray'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 |
|---|---|
| 1895 | May 29 |
| 1896 | May 24 |
| 1947 | Jun 23 |
| 1948 | May 12 |
| 1949 | Jun 2 |
| 1951 | Jun 11 |
| 1952 | May 23 |
| 1953 | May 30 |
| 1954 | Jun 7 |
| 1955 | May 29 |
| 1956 | May 16 |
| 1957 | Jun 17 |
| 1958 | May 3 |
| 1959 | May 5 |
| 1960 | May 25 |
| 1961 | May 14 |
| 1962 | May 28 |
| 1963 | May 12 |
| 1965 | May 28 |
| 1966 | May 13 |
| 1967 | May 15 |
| 1968 | May 18 |
| 1969 | Jun 25 |
| 1970 | Jun 12 |
| 1971 | May 24 |
| 1972 | May 14 |
| 1973 | Jun 19 |
| 1974 | Jun 9 |
| 1975 | Jun 11 |
| 1976 | Jun 15 |
| 1977 | May 22 |
| 1978 | May 19 |
| 1979 | Jun 19 |
| 1980 | May 27 |
| 1981 | Jun 16 |
| 1982 | Jun 6 |
| 1983 | Jun 14 |
| 1984 | Jun 9 |
| 1985 | Jun 27 |
| 1986 | May 18 |
| 1987 | May 28 |
| 1988 | Jun 1 |
| 1989 | Jun 22 |
| 1990 | Jun 2 |
| 1991 | May 16 |
| 1992 | May 10 |
| 1993 | Jun 7 |
| 1994 | May 10 |
| 1995 | Jun 18 |
| 1996 | May 27 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1998 | May 15 |
| 1999 | Jun 6 |
| 2000 | May 18 |
| 2001 | Jun 14 |
| 2002 | May 24 |
| 2003 | May 11 |
| 2004 | May 30 |
| 2005 | May 12 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1895 | 114 |
| 1947 | 80 |
| 1948 | 146 |
| 1949 | 128 |
| 1951 | 92 |
| 1952 | 113 |
| 1953 | 136 |
| 1954 | 125 |
| 1955 | 120 |
| 1956 | 149 |
| 1957 | 96 |
| 1958 | 170 |
| 1959 | 142 |
| 1960 | 139 |
| 1961 | 111 |
| 1962 | 103 |
| 1963 | 167 |
| 1965 | 114 |
| 1966 | 142 |
| 1967 | 144 |
| 1968 | 120 |
| 1969 | 99 |
| 1970 | 104 |
| 1971 | 115 |
| 1972 | 138 |
| 1973 | 98 |
| 1974 | 110 |
| 1975 | 100 |
| 1977 | 131 |
| 1978 | 122 |
| 1979 | 123 |
| 1980 | 140 |
| 1981 | 114 |
| 1982 | 99 |
| 1983 | 97 |
| 1984 | 107 |
| 1985 | 76 |
| 1986 | 134 |
| 1987 | 140 |
| 1988 | 105 |
| 1989 | 83 |
| 1990 | 127 |
| 1991 | 122 |
| 1992 | 138 |
| 1993 | 98 |
| 1994 | 150 |
| 1995 | 95 |
| 1996 | 113 |
| 1997 | 133 |
| 1998 | 142 |
| 1999 | 113 |
| 2000 | 128 |
| 2001 | 86 |
| 2002 | 131 |
| 2003 | 125 |
| 2004 | 97 |
| 2005 | 145 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1895 | 13.6 °C |
| 1947 | 11.9 °C |
| 1948 | 14.2 °C |
| 1949 | 13.7 °C |
| 1951 | 13.7 °C |
| 1952 | 13.9 °C |
| 1953 | 13.2 °C |
| 1954 | 14.7 °C |
| 1955 | 13.3 °C |
| 1956 | 14.2 °C |
| 1957 | 12.7 °C |
| 1958 | 14.6 °C |
| 1959 | 14.3 °C |
| 1960 | 14.7 °C |
| 1961 | 13.4 °C |
| 1962 | 13.7 °C |
| 1963 | 14.5 °C |
| 1964 | 13.6 °C |
| 1965 | 12.1 °C |
| 1966 | 14.0 °C |
| 1967 | 12.9 °C |
| 1968 | 12.1 °C |
| 1969 | 14.2 °C |
| 1970 | 12.8 °C |
| 1971 | 13.3 °C |
| 1972 | 13.8 °C |
| 1973 | 12.4 °C |
| 1974 | 13.6 °C |
| 1975 | 11.9 °C |
| 1977 | 14.3 °C |
| 1978 | 13.6 °C |
| 1979 | 13.2 °C |
| 1980 | 13.4 °C |
| 1981 | 13.8 °C |
| 1982 | 12.2 °C |
| 1983 | 12.2 °C |
| 1984 | 12.8 °C |
| 1985 | 13.4 °C |
| 1986 | 12.9 °C |
| 1987 | 13.3 °C |
| 1988 | 13.6 °C |
| 1989 | 14.3 °C |
| 1990 | 14.3 °C |
| 1991 | 12.7 °C |
| 1992 | 13.4 °C |
| 1993 | 12.8 °C |
| 1994 | 14.2 °C |
| 1995 | 12.0 °C |
| 1996 | 13.8 °C |
| 1997 | 12.5 °C |
| 1998 | 13.4 °C |
| 1999 | 11.9 °C |
| 2000 | 14.7 °C |
| 2001 | 14.0 °C |
| 2002 | 15.0 °C |
| 2003 | 14.1 °C |
| 2004 | 13.0 °C |
| 2005 | 13.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1895, Ouray's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Ouray (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.