Frost dates for Denver, Colorado
Colorado · first & last freeze, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals
In a typical year, the last spring freeze around Denver comes near May 4 and the first fall freeze near October 8. One year in ten, a freeze still arrives after May 16 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 156 days.
Freeze-date probabilities, three thresholds
| Threshold | Last spring — 9 in 10 years past by | Last spring — typical (median) | Last spring — 1 in 10 years later than | First fall — 1 in 10 years by | First fall — typical (median) | First fall — 9 in 10 years by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F — near-freezing (frost can occur) | May 2 | May 12 | May 26 | September 16 | October 1 | October 13 |
| 32°F — freezing | April 20 | May 4 | May 16 | September 25 | October 8 | October 20 |
| 28°F — hard freeze | April 6 | April 22 | May 7 | October 3 | October 18 | October 31 |
Measured at Denver-Stapleton, CO (USW00023062), 0.6 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 5,286 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) | Opens | Closes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cautious (1-in-10 freeze risk at each end) | May 16 | September 25 | 132 days |
| Typical (median freeze dates) | May 4 | October 8 | 157 days |
| Gambler's (9-in-10 freeze risk at each end) | April 20 | October 20 | 183 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
- Census entity: Denver city, Colorado — official 2024 population estimate 729,019.
- Weather station: Denver-Stapleton, CO (USW00023062), 0.6 mi from the city's census-gazetteer reference point at elevation 5,286 ft. Frost dates are that station's history — neighborhoods vary.
- Data pulled 2026-09-05; normals period 1991-2020 (replaced by NOAA roughly once a decade).
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