When to plant in Chama, NM

Planting dates worked out from Chama's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMay 309 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalJun 17about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outJul 11 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

EarlyAug 231 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalSep 12about half of years have had frost
LateSep 259 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 88 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Chama · 1.6 km away · station 2393 m, town 2399 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato Season likely too short	May 6 – May 20	Jul 1 – Jul 15	Aug 25
Sweet pepper Season likely too short	Apr 22 – May 6	Jul 1 – Jul 15	Aug 30
Lettuce (leaf)	Apr 15 – Apr 22	May 20 – Jun 3	Jun 29
Peas	—	May 6 – Jun 3	Jun 30
Bush beans	—	Jun 24 – Jul 15	Aug 13
Carrot	—	May 27 – Jul 8	Jul 26
Beet	—	May 20 – Jul 1	Jul 9
Potato	—	May 27 – Jun 17	Aug 5
Kale	Apr 8 – Apr 22	May 20 – Jun 3	Jul 2
Broccoli	Apr 8 – Apr 22	May 20 – Jun 10	Jul 19
Cucumber	Jun 3 – Jun 10	Jul 1 – Jul 15	Aug 20
Summer squash and zucchini	Jun 3 – Jun 10	Jul 1 – Jul 15	Aug 15
Winter squash Season likely too short	Jun 3 – Jun 10	Jul 1 – Jul 15	Sep 19
Sweet corn	—	Jun 24 – Jul 15	Aug 23
Onion (from sets)	—	May 20 – Jun 10	Aug 18
Garlic	—	Aug 29 – Sep 26 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	May 6 – Jun 3	Jun 13
Basil Season likely too short	May 20 – Jun 3	Jul 1 – Jul 15	Aug 27

Plan all 65 crops for Chama

Chama'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	Jun 5
1894	Jun 18
1896	May 18
1906	Jun 20
1907	Jun 14
1908	Jun 22
1909	Jun 1
1910	May 23
1911	Jun 2
1912	Jul 5
1913	Jun 11
1914	Jun 9
1915	Jun 14
1916	Jun 22
1917	Jun 7
1918	Jun 1
1921	Jun 19
1922	Jul 11
1923	Jun 21
1924	Jun 20
1925	Jun 8
1926	May 24
1927	Jun 4
1928	Jun 21
1929	Jun 22
1930	Jun 24
1931	Jun 24
1932	Jun 18
1933	Jun 9
1934	Jun 20
1935	Jun 29
1936	Jun 2
1937	Jun 17
1938	Jun 12
1939	Jun 23
1940	Jun 11
1941	Jun 29
1942	Jun 30
1943	Jun 19
1944	Jun 17
1945	Jun 19
1947	Jun 13
1948	Jun 20
1951	Jun 26
1952	May 28
1954	Jun 8
1957	Jun 17
1958	Jun 9
1960	May 25
1961	May 21
1962	May 26
1964	Jun 22
1965	Jun 27
1967	Jun 10
1968	Jun 13
1969	Jun 27
1970	Jun 17
1971	Jun 13
1972	Jun 27
1974	Jun 10
1975	Jun 26
1976	Jul 2
1977	Jun 16
1978	Jul 6
1979	Jun 20
1980	Jun 20
1981	Jun 17
1982	Jul 6
1983	Jun 15
1984	Jun 22
1985	Jun 27
1986	Jun 10
1987	Jul 12
1988	Jun 2
1989	Jun 26
1990	Jun 17
1991	Jun 24
1992	Jul 3
1993	Jun 25
1994	Jul 7
1995	Jul 5
1996	Jun 24
1997	Jul 1
1998	Jun 25
1999	Jun 10
2000	Jun 13
2001	Jun 15
2002	May 26
2003	Jun 25
2005	Jun 29
2006	May 30
2007	Jun 9
2008	Jun 15
2009	Jun 15
2010	Jun 21
2011	Jun 13
2012	Jun 11
2013	Jun 21
2014	Jun 16
2015	May 26
2016	Jun 16
2017	Jun 15
2018	Jun 2
2019	May 30
2020	Jun 30
2021	May 30
2022	May 31
2023	Jun 23
2024	Jun 2
2025	May 27
2026	Jun 21

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1893	90
1894	87
1896	127
1906	88
1907	104
1908	86
1909	104
1910	105
1911	122
1912	66
1913	97
1914	96
1915	91
1916	81
1917	109
1918	106
1921	91
1922	89
1923	88
1924	68
1925	105
1926	121
1927	110
1928	81
1929	77
1930	80
1931	88
1932	40
1933	104
1934	82
1935	91
1936	107
1937	97
1938	117
1939	97
1940	105
1941	66
1942	80
1943	80
1944	77
1945	86
1947	93
1948	108
1951	77
1954	111
1957	94
1958	113
1960	120
1961	104
1962	106
1964	59
1965	80
1967	95
1968	70
1969	75
1970	81
1971	82
1972	86
1974	84
1975	82
1976	88
1977	93
1978	67
1979	86
1980	60
1981	100
1982	84
1983	97
1984	76
1985	70
1986	92
1987	5
1988	104
1989	59
1990	93
1991	81
1992	54
1993	26
1994	69
1995	76
1996	41
1997	84
1998	85
1999	103
2000	95
2001	84
2002	116
2003	77
2005	75
2006	109
2007	101
2008	81
2009	53
2010	81
2011	114
2012	98
2013	93
2014	105
2015	114
2016	91
2017	95
2018	116
2019	104
2022	108
2023	89
2024	92
2025	109

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1893	13.9 °C
1894	14.2 °C
1896	15.1 °C
1906	12.3 °C
1907	12.3 °C
1908	12.5 °C
1909	13.0 °C
1910	14.0 °C
1911	12.6 °C
1912	11.4 °C
1913	12.7 °C
1914	12.4 °C
1915	11.9 °C
1916	12.8 °C
1917	12.0 °C
1918	12.7 °C
1921	10.9 °C
1923	11.5 °C
1924	11.2 °C
1925	12.3 °C
1926	11.8 °C
1927	11.7 °C
1928	11.2 °C
1929	11.1 °C
1930	11.5 °C
1931	12.0 °C
1932	11.5 °C
1933	12.2 °C
1934	14.6 °C
1935	12.8 °C
1936	13.4 °C
1937	13.6 °C
1938	12.9 °C
1939	12.8 °C
1940	13.2 °C
1941	11.6 °C
1942	12.8 °C
1943	13.9 °C
1944	12.5 °C
1945	12.8 °C
1948	13.9 °C
1951	13.3 °C
1954	14.0 °C
1957	12.3 °C
1958	13.9 °C
1960	13.7 °C
1961	13.4 °C
1962	13.7 °C
1964	12.8 °C
1965	12.1 °C
1966	13.7 °C
1967	12.2 °C
1968	11.6 °C
1969	13.0 °C
1970	11.8 °C
1971	11.8 °C
1972	12.7 °C
1974	12.3 °C
1975	10.8 °C
1976	11.8 °C
1977	12.6 °C
1978	12.1 °C
1979	11.9 °C
1980	11.9 °C
1981	12.6 °C
1982	11.8 °C
1983	11.7 °C
1984	12.2 °C
1985	12.1 °C
1986	11.4 °C
1987	11.2 °C
1988	12.1 °C
1989	12.4 °C
1990	12.1 °C
1991	11.4 °C
1992	11.9 °C
1993	11.6 °C
1994	13.0 °C
1995	11.6 °C
1996	12.4 °C
1997	12.8 °C
1998	12.2 °C
1999	11.9 °C
2001	13.7 °C
2002	14.4 °C
2003	13.2 °C
2004	12.7 °C
2005	13.1 °C
2006	13.7 °C
2007	12.7 °C
2008	11.9 °C
2010	12.7 °C
2011	12.5 °C
2012	13.7 °C
2013	12.9 °C
2014	12.7 °C
2015	12.9 °C
2016	12.5 °C
2017	12.4 °C
2018	13.6 °C
2019	12.3 °C
2020	13.5 °C
2022	13.2 °C
2023	12.5 °C
2024	13.1 °C
2025	13.6 °C
2026	14.0 °C

What this means for you: Since 1893, Chama'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 Chama (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

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