Grand Lake, CO frost dates
Last spring frostAny monthno frost-free season
Freezing nights262 / yrat or below 32°F
Hardiness zone5aZone 5a
Gardening where frost is possible all year
The weather station nearest Grand Lake, 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 Grand Lake compares
- Nearby Boulder, CO, 52 km away, has a regular frost season (last frost May 6), a reminder of how much elevation and distance from the coast matter.
About these dates
Based on 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for the Grand Lake 1 Nw, CO weather station, 5 km away (elevation 8,720 ft (2,658 m)).
Frost dates near Grand Lake
- Granby Jun 13 · Sep 7
- Hot Sulphur Springs Jun 12 · Sep 10
- Tabernash frost any month
- Allenspark Jun 14 · Sep 12
- Fraser frost any month
- Estes Park (Larimer) May 30 · Sep 17
- Ward Jun 21 · Sep 2
- Parshall Jun 12 · Sep 10
- Winter Park frost any month
- Rand frost any month
Frequently asked questions
When is the last frost in Grand Lake, CO?
Grand Lake, CO can freeze in any month, so there is no reliable last frost date. The nearest NOAA station averages 262 nights a year at or below 32°F.
What can I grow in Grand Lake, 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.