Crested Butte, CO frost dates

Gardening where frost is possible all year

The weather station nearest Crested Butte, CO records freezing temperatures in every month often enough that NOAA cannot define a frost-free season. Gardening is still possible — it just means planning for frost at any time:

• Grow fast, cold-tolerant crops: Radishes, Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Peas, Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Garlic.
• Plant once the soil can be worked — usually late spring to early summer at high elevation — and keep row covers ready for clear, still nights.
• Use season extension: cold frames, low tunnels, wall-of-water cloches or a greenhouse turn a few frost-free weeks into a real season.
• Frost-tender crops (tomatoes, squash, beans) need protection all season; choose the earliest varieties you can find.

About these dates

Based on 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for the Crested Butte, CO weather station, 2 km away (elevation 8,868 ft (2,703 m)).

ZIP codes in Crested Butte: 81224 81225

Frost dates near Crested Butte

• Almont Jun 20 · Sep 8
• Somerset May 3 · Oct 12
• Aspen May 31 · Sep 23
• Snowmass Village May 31 · Sep 23
• Gunnison frost any month
• Snowmass May 31 · Sep 23
• Woody Creek May 31 · Sep 23
• Ohio City Jun 21 · Sep 5
• Carbondale May 31 · Sep 23
• Parlin Jun 21 · Sep 5

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Crested Butte, CO?

Crested Butte, CO can freeze in any month, so there is no reliable last frost date. The nearest NOAA station averages 269 nights a year at or below 32°F.

What can I grow in Crested Butte, CO?

Fast, cold-tolerant crops such as radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, peas and potatoes, ideally under row covers, cold frames or a greenhouse. Frost-tender crops like tomatoes need protection all season.