Frost dates · USDA zone 7b

Frost dates for Roswell, NM

Roswell, NM sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 29 and its first of fall around November 7 — a 223-day freeze-free season in a typical year.

Mar 29Last spring frostmedian · 1 in 10 years after Apr 15
Nov 7First fall frostmedian · 1 in 10 years before Oct 26
223Freeze-free daysmedian year · ≥200 in 9 of 10
7bUSDA zone2023 map · ZIP 88230
Build a Roswell sauce plan →

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

OddsLast spring freeze afterFirst fall freeze before
9 years in 10Mar 8Nov 19
Median — 1 year in 2Mar 29Nov 7
1 year in 10Apr 15Oct 26

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: 223 days median, at least 200 in 9 years of 10, at least 247 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 Mar 10 and first of Nov 16.

Roswell planting calendar, 2027

Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 29) and median first frost (Nov 7) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.

CropStart indoorsTransplant / plantFirst harvestDays
Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck)—Oct 15prior fallJun 12240 from sow
Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day)Jan 4Mar 1Jun 19110 from transplant
Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea)Direct sowMar 29Apr 2830 from sow
CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum)Mar 15Mar 15Apr 2945 from sow
Genovese BasilGenoveseMar 1Apr 12Jun 1160 from transplant
CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum)Feb 1Apr 5Jun 1975 from transplant
HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense)Jan 18Apr 12Jul 1695 from transplant
JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum)Feb 1Apr 5Jun 1975 from transplant
Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum)Feb 1Apr 5Jun 2480 from transplant
SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum)Feb 1Apr 5Jun 2480 from transplant
Nantes CarrotScarlet NantesMar 15Mar 15May 2470 from sow
TomatilloToma VerdeFeb 15Apr 5Jun 1470 from transplant
Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste)Feb 15Apr 5Jun 1975 from transplant
San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste)Feb 15Apr 5Jun 2480 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.

Roswell frost questions

When is the last frost in Roswell, NM?

The median last 32 °F freeze at ROSWELL IND AIR PK, NM is March 29: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 15; nine years in ten, it comes after March 8. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.

When is the first frost in Roswell, NM?

The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 7. One year in ten it arrives before October 26; nine years in ten, before November 19.

How long is the growing season in Roswell, NM?

223 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 200 days; one year in ten, at least 247 days.

What growing zone is Roswell, NM?

USDA hardiness zone 7b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 88230. 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 Roswell, NM?

Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 15 and transplant around Apr 5, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 15. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 19.

When should I plant peppers in Roswell, NM?

Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 1; transplant no earlier than Apr 5, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 19.

Nearby in New Mexico

All New Mexico frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →