Frost dates · USDA zone 5b
Frost dates for Longmont, CO
Longmont, CO sees its last 32 °F night of spring around May 7 and its first of fall around October 5 — a 151-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Apr 24 | Oct 16 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | May 7 | Oct 5 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 22 | Sep 23 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 151 days median, at least 131 in 9 years of 10, at least 169 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Apr 28 and first of Oct 12.
Longmont planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (May 7) and median first frost (Oct 5) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Feb 12 | Apr 9 | Jul 28 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | May 7 | Jun 6 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 23 | Apr 23 | Jun 7 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Apr 9 | May 21 | Jul 20 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 12 | May 14 | Jul 28 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 26 | May 21 | Aug 24 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 12 | May 14 | Jul 28 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 12 | May 14 | Aug 2 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 12 | May 14 | Aug 2 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 23 | Apr 23 | Jul 2 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 26 | May 14 | Jul 23 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 26 | May 14 | Jul 28 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 26 | May 14 | Aug 2 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Longmont grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Longmont container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Longmont frost questions
When is the last frost in Longmont, CO?
The median last 32 °F freeze at LONGMONT 2 ESE, CO is May 7: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 22; nine years in ten, it comes after April 24. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Longmont, CO?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 5. One year in ten it arrives before September 23; nine years in ten, before October 16.
How long is the growing season in Longmont, CO?
151 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 131 days; one year in ten, at least 169 days.
What growing zone is Longmont, CO?
USDA hardiness zone 5b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 80501. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Longmont, CO?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 26 and transplant around May 14, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 22. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 28.
When should I plant peppers in Longmont, CO?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Mar 12; transplant no earlier than May 14, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 28.
Nearby in Colorado
- Boulderlast frost May 6
- Broomfieldlast frost May 2
- Lovelandlast frost May 3
- Thorntonlast frost May 2
- Westminsterlast frost May 2
- Brightonlast frost May 3
All Colorado frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →