Frost dates for Fort Collins, Colorado
In a typical year, Fort Collins’s last spring frost lands around May 2 and the first fall frost around Oct 7, a growing season of about 158 days. These are odds drawn from 30-year NOAA climate normals, not a promise. USDA zone 5b.
| Odds | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 10 percent | Apr 18 | Sep 24 |
| 50 percent | May 2 | Oct 7 |
| 90 percent | May 14 | Oct 20 |
A 10 percent year is an early year, a 90 percent year a late one. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the 90 percent side of the last-frost band.
Soil in Fort Collins is typically around 71°F at 4 inches this time of year, estimated from the last two weeks of normal air temperatures.
Plantable now in Fort Collins
- Chinese cabbage (Bilko)
- Arugula (Astro)
- Mustard greens (Red Giant)
- Tatsoi (Tatsoi)
- Dill (Bouquet)
- Zucchini (Eight Ball)
- Cilantro (Santo)
- Sweet alyssum (Snow Crystals)
Timing comes from the same temperature engine the app uses, run against Fort Collins’s normals for today.
Nearby cities
- Cheyenne, WY (around May 14 to Oct 1)
- Thornton, CO (around May 2 to Oct 11)
- Westminster, CO (around May 2 to Oct 11)
- Arvada, CO (around May 5 to Oct 5)
- Laramie, WY (around Jun 7 to Sep 4)
Row & Bed is a plant reference built around your garden: your zone, your frost dates, your forecast, and a cited page for every variety in your beds.
Set up your garden