Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Las Cruces, NM
Las Cruces, NM sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 12 and its first of fall around November 13 — a 241-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 | Feb 23 | Nov 24 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 12 | Nov 13 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 2 | Oct 30 |
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: 241 days median, at least 216 in 9 years of 10, at least 262 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 Feb 26 and first of Nov 24.
Las Cruces planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 12) and median first frost (Nov 13) 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) | Dec 18 | Feb 12 | Jun 2 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 12 | Apr 11 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 26 | Feb 26 | Apr 12 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 12 | Mar 26 | May 25 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 15 | Mar 19 | Jun 2 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 1 | Mar 26 | Jun 29 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 15 | Mar 19 | Jun 2 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 15 | Mar 19 | Jun 7 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 15 | Mar 19 | Jun 7 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 26 | Feb 26 | May 7 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 29 | Mar 19 | May 28 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 29 | Mar 19 | Jun 2 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 29 | Mar 19 | Jun 7 | 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 Las Cruces grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Las Cruces container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Las Cruces frost questions
When is the last frost in Las Cruces, NM?
The median last 32 °F freeze at STATE UNIV, NM is March 12: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 2; nine years in ten, it comes after February 23. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Las Cruces, NM?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 13. One year in ten it arrives before October 30; nine years in ten, before November 24.
How long is the growing season in Las Cruces, NM?
241 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 216 days; one year in ten, at least 262 days.
What growing zone is Las Cruces, NM?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 88001. 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 Las Cruces, NM?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 29 and transplant around Mar 19, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 2. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 2.
When should I plant peppers in Las Cruces, NM?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 15; transplant no earlier than Mar 19, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 2.
Nearby in New Mexico
- Roswelllast frost Mar 29
- Albuquerquelast frost Apr 6
- Rio Rancholast frost Apr 16
- Hobbslast frost Mar 28
- Santa Felast frost May 2
- Farmingtonlast frost May 2
All New Mexico frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →