Frost Dates
Frost Dates · Colorado

Frost dates for Aurora, Colorado

Colorado · first & last freeze, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals

Typical last spring freeze (32°F)
May 7
median date, 1991–2020
Typical first fall freeze (32°F)
October 8
median date, 1991–2020
Typical frost-free season
154 days
between the median dates

In a typical year, the last spring freeze around Aurora comes near May 7 and the first fall freeze near October 8. One year in ten, a freeze still arrives after May 21 in spring — and one year in ten, the first fall freeze has already landed by September 25. NCEI's own growing-season statistic (days between freezes, percentiled per year) puts the median at 152 days.

JFMAMJJASONDMay 7October 8
The year at a glance: blue bands span the 9-in-10 to 1-in-10 range where the last spring / first fall 32°F freeze lands; the green band is the typical frost-free window between the median dates. Measured at Cherry Creek Dam, CO (USC00051547), 8.3 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 5,647 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals.

Freeze-date probabilities, three thresholds

ThresholdLast spring — 9 in 10 years past byLast spring — typical (median)Last spring — 1 in 10 years later thanFirst fall — 1 in 10 years byFirst fall — typical (median)First fall — 9 in 10 years by
36°F — near-freezing (frost can occur)May 7May 18June 1September 18September 30October 12
32°F — freezingApril 26May 7May 21September 25October 8October 19
28°F — hard freezeApril 11April 29May 10September 30October 15October 27

Measured at Cherry Creek Dam, CO (USC00051547), 8.3 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 5,647 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals. Read each date column as odds over the 30-year record — e.g. "9 in 10 years past by" means only one spring in ten saw a later freeze than that date.

Frost-free windows (computed)

Window (32°F ends)OpensClosesLength
Cautious (1-in-10 freeze risk at each end)May 21September 25127 days
Typical (median freeze dates)May 7October 8154 days
Gambler's (9-in-10 freeze risk at each end)April 26October 19176 days

Pure arithmetic on the freeze-date percentiles above — the "cautious" window opens on the date only 1 year in 10 still sees a later spring freeze, and closes on the date by which only 1 year in 10 has already frozen.

About this city's numbers

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