Estes Park, CO frost dates
Last spring frostAny monthno frost-free season
Freezing nights241 / yrat or below 32°F
Hardiness zone5bZone 5b
Gardening where frost is possible all year
The weather station nearest Estes Park, 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.
How Estes Park compares
- Nearby Fort Collins, CO, 43 km away, has a regular frost season (last frost May 2), a reminder of how much elevation and distance from the coast matter.
About these dates
Based on 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for the Hourglass Rsvr, CO weather station, 7 km away (elevation 9,521 ft (2,902 m)).
Frost dates near Estes Park
- Glen Haven May 30 · Sep 17
- Bellvue May 21 · Sep 29
- Drake May 30 · Sep 17
- Red Feather Lakes Jun 5 · Sep 16
- Estes Park (Larimer) May 30 · Sep 17
- Livermore May 31 · Sep 19
- Masonville May 12 · Oct 1
- Laporte May 2 · Oct 7
- Fort Collins May 2 · Oct 7
- Allenspark Jun 14 · Sep 12
Frequently asked questions
When is the last frost in Estes Park, CO?
Estes Park, CO can freeze in any month, so there is no reliable last frost date. The nearest NOAA station averages 241 nights a year at or below 32°F.
What can I grow in Estes Park, 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.