When to plant in Lovington, NM
Planting dates worked out from Lovington's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 3
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 17
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 28
1 year in 10 by Oct 12
Frost-free days
187
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Tatum · 33.2 km away · station 1223 m, town 1192 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 8 – Mar 22 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 27 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 2 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 13 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Apr 29 |
| Peas | — | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | Apr 30 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 15 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 27 – May 8 | May 26 |
| Beet | — | Mar 20 – May 1 | May 9 |
| Potato | — | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Jun 5 |
| Kale | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 2 |
| Broccoli | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | May 19 |
| Cucumber | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 22 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 17 |
| Winter squash | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | Jun 18 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 14 – Nov 11 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | Apr 13 |
| Basil | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 29 |
Lovington'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 |
|---|---|
| 1921 | Apr 26 |
| 1923 | Apr 22 |
| 1924 | Apr 26 |
| 1929 | May 2 |
| 1930 | May 11 |
| 1931 | Apr 10 |
| 1932 | Apr 28 |
| 1933 | May 5 |
| 1934 | Apr 28 |
| 1935 | May 4 |
| 1936 | Apr 22 |
| 1938 | May 8 |
| 1939 | Apr 18 |
| 1940 | Apr 18 |
| 1941 | Mar 29 |
| 1943 | Mar 25 |
| 1944 | Apr 23 |
| 1945 | Apr 26 |
| 1948 | Apr 9 |
| 1949 | Apr 11 |
| 1950 | Apr 16 |
| 1951 | Apr 23 |
| 1952 | Apr 13 |
| 1953 | Apr 19 |
| 1954 | May 3 |
| 1955 | Apr 7 |
| 1956 | Apr 11 |
| 1957 | Apr 14 |
| 1958 | Apr 14 |
| 1959 | Apr 14 |
| 1963 | Apr 19 |
| 1967 | May 2 |
| 1968 | Apr 29 |
| 1969 | Apr 18 |
| 1970 | May 3 |
| 1971 | Apr 20 |
| 1972 | Apr 16 |
| 1973 | May 15 |
| 1975 | Apr 28 |
| 1976 | Apr 17 |
| 1978 | Apr 11 |
| 1979 | May 4 |
| 1980 | Apr 27 |
| 1982 | Apr 23 |
| 1986 | Apr 20 |
| 1988 | May 3 |
| 1989 | Apr 28 |
| 1990 | Apr 7 |
| 1992 | Apr 25 |
| 1993 | Apr 22 |
| 1994 | Apr 29 |
| 1995 | Apr 24 |
| 1996 | Apr 16 |
| 1997 | Apr 14 |
| 1998 | Apr 21 |
| 1999 | Apr 17 |
| 2000 | Apr 8 |
| 2001 | Apr 12 |
| 2002 | Apr 4 |
| 2003 | Apr 10 |
| 2004 | Apr 13 |
| 2005 | Apr 15 |
| 2006 | Mar 26 |
| 2008 | Apr 19 |
| 2009 | Apr 18 |
| 2010 | Apr 9 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Mar 24 |
| 2013 | May 4 |
| 2014 | May 14 |
| 2015 | Apr 30 |
| 2016 | Apr 6 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1921 | 183 |
| 1923 | 190 |
| 1930 | 170 |
| 1931 | 201 |
| 1932 | 159 |
| 1933 | 174 |
| 1934 | 182 |
| 1935 | 171 |
| 1936 | 159 |
| 1938 | 167 |
| 1939 | 192 |
| 1940 | 193 |
| 1943 | 203 |
| 1944 | 181 |
| 1948 | 180 |
| 1949 | 184 |
| 1950 | 200 |
| 1951 | 191 |
| 1952 | 176 |
| 1953 | 202 |
| 1954 | 180 |
| 1955 | 199 |
| 1956 | 204 |
| 1957 | 194 |
| 1958 | 201 |
| 1959 | 186 |
| 1963 | 195 |
| 1967 | 176 |
| 1968 | 170 |
| 1969 | 177 |
| 1970 | 157 |
| 1971 | 152 |
| 1972 | 185 |
| 1973 | 135 |
| 1975 | 171 |
| 1978 | 209 |
| 1979 | 170 |
| 1980 | 174 |
| 1986 | 174 |
| 1988 | 185 |
| 1989 | 173 |
| 1990 | 196 |
| 1992 | 165 |
| 1993 | 181 |
| 1995 | 178 |
| 1997 | 181 |
| 1998 | 207 |
| 1999 | 197 |
| 2000 | 184 |
| 2001 | 187 |
| 2002 | 215 |
| 2003 | 226 |
| 2005 | 204 |
| 2008 | 186 |
| 2009 | 191 |
| 2010 | 209 |
| 2011 | 182 |
| 2012 | 216 |
| 2013 | 166 |
| 2014 | 175 |
| 2015 | 189 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1921 | 20.8 °C |
| 1923 | 21.5 °C |
| 1924 | 21.1 °C |
| 1927 | 20.9 °C |
| 1930 | 22.3 °C |
| 1931 | 20.7 °C |
| 1932 | 21.2 °C |
| 1933 | 21.5 °C |
| 1934 | 22.2 °C |
| 1935 | 20.4 °C |
| 1936 | 19.9 °C |
| 1937 | 22.0 °C |
| 1938 | 21.9 °C |
| 1939 | 22.1 °C |
| 1940 | 21.7 °C |
| 1941 | 20.1 °C |
| 1943 | 22.4 °C |
| 1944 | 21.1 °C |
| 1948 | 22.6 °C |
| 1949 | 20.9 °C |
| 1950 | 21.1 °C |
| 1951 | 22.0 °C |
| 1952 | 22.1 °C |
| 1953 | 22.0 °C |
| 1954 | 22.8 °C |
| 1955 | 22.1 °C |
| 1956 | 22.4 °C |
| 1957 | 21.0 °C |
| 1958 | 22.0 °C |
| 1959 | 21.4 °C |
| 1963 | 21.5 °C |
| 1967 | 21.4 °C |
| 1968 | 20.4 °C |
| 1969 | 21.6 °C |
| 1970 | 20.9 °C |
| 1971 | 20.5 °C |
| 1972 | 20.5 °C |
| 1973 | 18.9 °C |
| 1974 | 20.9 °C |
| 1975 | 19.9 °C |
| 1978 | 21.1 °C |
| 1979 | 20.4 °C |
| 1980 | 22.0 °C |
| 1982 | 20.8 °C |
| 1986 | 20.9 °C |
| 1987 | 20.4 °C |
| 1989 | 21.1 °C |
| 1990 | 21.5 °C |
| 1992 | 20.4 °C |
| 1993 | 21.2 °C |
| 1994 | 21.8 °C |
| 1995 | 21.2 °C |
| 1996 | 21.9 °C |
| 1997 | 21.1 °C |
| 1998 | 22.6 °C |
| 1999 | 21.2 °C |
| 2000 | 23.0 °C |
| 2001 | 22.7 °C |
| 2002 | 22.3 °C |
| 2003 | 22.1 °C |
| 2004 | 21.0 °C |
| 2005 | 20.9 °C |
| 2008 | 20.7 °C |
| 2009 | 21.2 °C |
| 2010 | 21.9 °C |
| 2011 | 23.8 °C |
| 2012 | 23.2 °C |
| 2013 | 21.7 °C |
| 2014 | 21.5 °C |
| 2015 | 21.5 °C |
| 2016 | 21.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1921, Lovington's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 1 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Tatum (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.