Colorado Springs, CO Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Gardening in Colorado Springs
The Springs sits at 6,000 feet — higher than Denver — with Garden of the Gods as a backdrop that makes every backyard garden feel epic by comparison. Military families from Fort Carson and Air Force Academy families bring gardening traditions from all over the country.
Higher altitude means more intense UV, cooler nights, and an even more compressed season than Denver. Your 149 frost-free days demand strategic planning. Hail is a constant threat — May and June storms can shred a garden. But the 300+ days of sunshine mean that when conditions are right, growth is explosive. The sandy, alkaline soil over decomposed Pikes Peak granite is a world apart from Denver's clay.
The Garden of the Gods wasn't planted — but everything else in Colorado Springs needs to be, carefully, within a very specific window. The military community means gardeners arrive from everywhere, bringing techniques from Alabama, Hawaii, and Germany into a climate that laughs at all of them equally. Adapt or don't eat — that's high-altitude gardening.
What This Means for Colorado Springs Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Colorado Springs is around May 5, and the average first fall frost arrives around October 1. That gives you approximately 149 frost-free days to work with.
At 149 days, you're working with a compressed but productive window. Choose varieties by their days-to-maturity number — anything under 75 days is safe, 75-90 requires indoor starting, and 90+ is a calculated risk. The tradeoff: your cool, moderate summers are excellent for crops that heat-zone gardeners struggle with. Your lettuce doesn't bolt in June. Your peas produce for weeks longer. Cool-season crops are your superpower.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Colorado Springs area. Your actual frost dates could shift 2-3 weeks in either direction in any given year. Learn more about our data sources.
What to Grow in Colorado Springs
With 149 frost-free days, Colorado Springs gardeners need to plan strategically — start warm-season crops indoors and choose short-season varieties. Cool-season crops are your strength, thriving in the moderate temperatures that define your growing window. Recommended starting points: kale, lettuce, peas, carrots, potatoes, radishes, garlic, and short-season tomatoes.
See the full Colorado planting guide for all 40 plants: Colorado Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Colorado Springs.
More About Zone 5B
Colorado Springs is in USDA Hardiness Zone 5B, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between -15°F to -10°F. View the full Zone 5B planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for Colorado: Colorado Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in Colorado
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Colorado Springs area. They represent historical averages, not predictions. In any given year, the actual last frost could be 2-3 weeks earlier or later. Microclimates within Colorado Springs (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
Start everything possible indoors — your 149-day season doesn't leave room for a slow start. Direct sow only the fastest, hardiest crops (radishes, lettuce, peas) 3-4 weeks before last frost (May 5). Choose short-season varieties for warm crops. Enter your zip code for exact dates.