Frost dates · USDA zone 5b
Frost dates for Parker, CO
Parker, CO sees its last 32 °F night of spring around May 9 and its first of fall around October 3 — a 145-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 27 | Oct 15 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | May 9 | Oct 3 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 23 | Sep 21 |
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: 145 days median, at least 127 in 9 years of 10, at least 163 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 29 and first of Oct 12.
Parker planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (May 9) and median first frost (Oct 3) 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 14 | Apr 11 | Jul 30 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | May 9 | Jun 8 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | Jun 9 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Apr 11 | May 23 | Jul 22 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 14 | May 16 | Jul 30 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 28 | May 23 | Aug 26 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 14 | May 16 | Jul 30 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 14 | May 16 | Aug 4 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 14 | May 16 | Aug 4 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | Jul 4 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 28 | May 16 | Jul 25 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 28 | May 16 | Jul 30 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 28 | May 16 | Aug 4 | 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 Parker grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Parker container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Parker frost questions
When is the last frost in Parker, CO?
The median last 32 °F freeze at PARKER, CO is May 9: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 23; nine years in ten, it comes after April 27. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Parker, CO?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 3. One year in ten it arrives before September 21; nine years in ten, before October 15.
How long is the growing season in Parker, CO?
145 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 127 days; one year in ten, at least 163 days.
What growing zone is Parker, CO?
USDA hardiness zone 5b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 80134. 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 Parker, CO?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 28 and transplant around May 16, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 23. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 30.
When should I plant peppers in Parker, CO?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Mar 14; transplant no earlier than May 16, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 30.
Nearby in Colorado
- Centenniallast frost May 5
- Castle Rocklast frost May 9
- Littletonlast frost May 2
- Auroralast frost May 5
- Denverlast frost May 4
- Lakewoodlast frost May 3
All Colorado frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →