When to plant in Alamogordo, NM
Planting dates worked out from Alamogordo's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 21
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 9
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 3
1 year in 10 by Oct 22
Frost-free days
202
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Tularosa · 20.6 km away · station 1348 m, town 1323 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 | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 15 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 20 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 5 – Feb 12 | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 21 |
| Peas | — | Feb 26 – Mar 26 | Apr 22 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 3 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 19 – Apr 30 | May 18 |
| Beet | — | Mar 12 – Apr 23 | May 1 |
| Potato | — | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | May 28 |
| Kale | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 24 |
| Broccoli | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 12 – Apr 2 | May 11 |
| Cucumber | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 10 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 5 |
| Winter squash | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jul 10 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 13 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 12 – Apr 2 | Jun 10 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 20 – Nov 17 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 26 – Mar 26 | Apr 5 |
| Basil | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 17 |
Alamogordo'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 |
|---|---|
| 1912 | Apr 14 |
| 1913 | Apr 26 |
| 1914 | Apr 9 |
| 1915 | Mar 20 |
| 1917 | Apr 5 |
| 1918 | Mar 22 |
| 1919 | Apr 9 |
| 1920 | Apr 29 |
| 1921 | Apr 26 |
| 1922 | Apr 19 |
| 1923 | Apr 6 |
| 1924 | Apr 17 |
| 1925 | Mar 15 |
| 1926 | Mar 31 |
| 1927 | May 9 |
| 1928 | Apr 15 |
| 1931 | Apr 4 |
| 1932 | Apr 22 |
| 1933 | Apr 13 |
| 1934 | Mar 17 |
| 1935 | Mar 10 |
| 1936 | Apr 7 |
| 1937 | Apr 4 |
| 1947 | Apr 17 |
| 1948 | Apr 1 |
| 1949 | Apr 11 |
| 1950 | May 5 |
| 1951 | Apr 11 |
| 1952 | Mar 28 |
| 1953 | Mar 5 |
| 1954 | Mar 25 |
| 1955 | Mar 28 |
| 1956 | Apr 4 |
| 1957 | Apr 5 |
| 1958 | Apr 6 |
| 1959 | Apr 13 |
| 1967 | May 1 |
| 1968 | Apr 23 |
| 1970 | Apr 30 |
| 1971 | Apr 4 |
| 1972 | Apr 15 |
| 1974 | Apr 5 |
| 1975 | Apr 13 |
| 1978 | Mar 18 |
| 1979 | Apr 13 |
| 1981 | Apr 4 |
| 1982 | Mar 29 |
| 1983 | Apr 15 |
| 1984 | Apr 10 |
| 1985 | Apr 2 |
| 1986 | Apr 14 |
| 1987 | Apr 14 |
| 1988 | May 2 |
| 1989 | Apr 11 |
| 1990 | Mar 17 |
| 1991 | Apr 29 |
| 1992 | Apr 3 |
| 1993 | Apr 9 |
| 1994 | Apr 28 |
| 1995 | Apr 18 |
| 1996 | Apr 15 |
| 1997 | Apr 6 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | Apr 5 |
| 2000 | Mar 23 |
| 2001 | Apr 11 |
| 2002 | Mar 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 9 |
| 2004 | Apr 12 |
| 2005 | Apr 11 |
| 2006 | Mar 24 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 12 |
| 2009 | Apr 17 |
| 2010 | Mar 28 |
| 2011 | Mar 9 |
| 2012 | Apr 15 |
| 2013 | Apr 19 |
| 2014 | Apr 15 |
| 2015 | Mar 6 |
| 2016 | Apr 2 |
| 2017 | Apr 30 |
| 2018 | Apr 14 |
| 2019 | Apr 14 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1912 | 201 |
| 1913 | 183 |
| 1914 | 241 |
| 1915 | 234 |
| 1917 | 196 |
| 1918 | 230 |
| 1919 | 205 |
| 1920 | 167 |
| 1921 | 182 |
| 1922 | 194 |
| 1923 | 197 |
| 1924 | 220 |
| 1925 | 236 |
| 1927 | 178 |
| 1928 | 214 |
| 1931 | 228 |
| 1932 | 198 |
| 1934 | 247 |
| 1935 | 244 |
| 1936 | 208 |
| 1937 | 227 |
| 1947 | 203 |
| 1948 | 218 |
| 1949 | 202 |
| 1950 | 182 |
| 1951 | 204 |
| 1952 | 221 |
| 1953 | 234 |
| 1954 | 220 |
| 1955 | 224 |
| 1956 | 208 |
| 1957 | 203 |
| 1958 | 206 |
| 1959 | 206 |
| 1970 | 160 |
| 1972 | 198 |
| 1974 | 212 |
| 1975 | 212 |
| 1978 | 243 |
| 1981 | 202 |
| 1982 | 213 |
| 1983 | 208 |
| 1985 | 213 |
| 1986 | 181 |
| 1987 | 206 |
| 1988 | 197 |
| 1989 | 190 |
| 1990 | 206 |
| 1991 | 184 |
| 1992 | 212 |
| 1993 | 201 |
| 1994 | 190 |
| 1995 | 219 |
| 1996 | 190 |
| 1997 | 201 |
| 1999 | 232 |
| 2000 | 200 |
| 2001 | 184 |
| 2002 | 228 |
| 2003 | 200 |
| 2004 | 203 |
| 2006 | 216 |
| 2007 | 222 |
| 2008 | 193 |
| 2009 | 194 |
| 2010 | 226 |
| 2011 | 232 |
| 2012 | 194 |
| 2013 | 200 |
| 2014 | 211 |
| 2015 | 249 |
| 2016 | 230 |
| 2017 | 202 |
| 2018 | 209 |
| 2019 | 189 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1912 | 21.4 °C |
| 1913 | 20.9 °C |
| 1914 | 21.7 °C |
| 1915 | 21.0 °C |
| 1916 | 22.0 °C |
| 1917 | 21.9 °C |
| 1918 | 22.1 °C |
| 1919 | 21.1 °C |
| 1920 | 21.1 °C |
| 1921 | 21.6 °C |
| 1922 | 23.3 °C |
| 1923 | 22.6 °C |
| 1924 | 23.3 °C |
| 1925 | 23.0 °C |
| 1928 | 22.2 °C |
| 1930 | 22.7 °C |
| 1931 | 22.4 °C |
| 1932 | 22.6 °C |
| 1933 | 22.7 °C |
| 1934 | 25.7 °C |
| 1935 | 23.2 °C |
| 1936 | 23.1 °C |
| 1937 | 23.9 °C |
| 1943 | 25.0 °C |
| 1947 | 23.0 °C |
| 1948 | 23.8 °C |
| 1949 | 22.6 °C |
| 1950 | 22.6 °C |
| 1951 | 23.3 °C |
| 1952 | 22.2 °C |
| 1953 | 22.7 °C |
| 1954 | 23.2 °C |
| 1955 | 22.4 °C |
| 1956 | 23.7 °C |
| 1957 | 21.6 °C |
| 1958 | 22.9 °C |
| 1959 | 22.2 °C |
| 1970 | 21.8 °C |
| 1971 | 21.9 °C |
| 1975 | 20.9 °C |
| 1978 | 22.1 °C |
| 1981 | 22.6 °C |
| 1982 | 22.2 °C |
| 1983 | 21.6 °C |
| 1984 | 22.1 °C |
| 1985 | 22.1 °C |
| 1986 | 21.8 °C |
| 1987 | 20.9 °C |
| 1988 | 20.7 °C |
| 1989 | 22.6 °C |
| 1990 | 21.8 °C |
| 1991 | 21.4 °C |
| 1992 | 22.1 °C |
| 1993 | 22.4 °C |
| 1994 | 23.6 °C |
| 1995 | 22.4 °C |
| 1996 | 23.4 °C |
| 1997 | 22.6 °C |
| 1998 | 22.6 °C |
| 1999 | 22.1 °C |
| 2000 | 24.1 °C |
| 2001 | 23.1 °C |
| 2002 | 23.5 °C |
| 2003 | 23.0 °C |
| 2004 | 22.5 °C |
| 2005 | 23.4 °C |
| 2006 | 23.3 °C |
| 2007 | 22.9 °C |
| 2008 | 22.5 °C |
| 2009 | 23.1 °C |
| 2010 | 23.3 °C |
| 2011 | 23.9 °C |
| 2012 | 23.8 °C |
| 2013 | 23.0 °C |
| 2014 | 22.8 °C |
| 2015 | 23.3 °C |
| 2016 | 22.8 °C |
| 2017 | 22.6 °C |
| 2018 | 23.5 °C |
| 2019 | 22.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1912, Alamogordo'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 Tularosa (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.